Southern Nights
by explorer87
Summary: A road trip to nowhere turns into everything she's been searching for. When Callie ends up in a small town along the North Carolina shore, she finds a chance to start over. She is captivated by the locals, mesmerized by the warm nights, and smitten with the town's only pediatric doctor and surgeon, Arizona Robbins. Calzona FanFic. Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
1. Chapter 1

Cruising down the highway with her top down in her antique convertible, her long brunette hair blowing in the wind, Callie Torres finally felt free. This was the eighth day she was living by the words of one of her favorite authors, Lewis Carroll, "if you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there." And that is exactly where she was headed, everywhere and nowhere. In the back of her mind she knew she was running, but she spent the last week burying that thought deep in her mind. This was the first day that she finally felt alive.

At this point in her drive, she could no longer drive east without driving into the Ocean. She had made it coast to coast in eight days and was finally ready to spend more than a few hours in one spot, well that, and she had to decide if she wanted to drive north or south next. It was getting closer to sunset so she decided to drive straight to the beach. Parking her car at the entrance of an overgrown path that ultimately led to the sand, Callie stepped out of the driver's side and breathed in warm air that was flavored with a hint of salt from the ocean 100 yards away. Leaving her shoes behind, she briskly walked down the path, stopping when warm water glided over her bronze toes. Feeling her feet sink into the sand, she finally felt at peace.

She had no idea where she had ended up. There was no need for a GPS and as far as she could tell, the last state she crossed into was North Carolina, a state that she had yet to visit. The beach was empty and the small town she passed almost felt deserted. _Perfect_ she thought to herself with a wide grin plastered from ear to ear. An escape like this was exactly what she was looking for. Hearing a dog bark she glanced down the beach around the small bend of the shore. She couldn't yet see the dog, but she knew it was about to appear around the bend any minute. Without hesitation the dog came running towards her, apparently so excited that he jumped up and knocked Callie to the ground, licking her face like they were old friends.

"Hey boy, what's your name" she laughed. She loved dogs and she was certainly welcoming the kisses. After all, this was the most intimate contact she had in a long time.

"I am so sorry! Charlie get over here" Callie heard a stern but soft voice yell after the dog. Looking up, she watched as a petite blonde woman came running towards them as the dog retreated towards his owner. Callie's immediately lost track of any thoughts in her head as her eyes were met with the bluest eyes she had ever seen. She felt breath hitched as she stared at the woman. She was miraculously stunning. Her hair was golden like the sun and her beach outfit showed her long legs that went on for miles. She was snapped out of her daydream when she saw an arm stretched out to help her up from the sand. "I am really sorry. He normally doesn't go running off like that" the blonde said.

Taking the blonde's hand, Callie felt a rush of heat rising through her chest and landing on her cheeks at the feel of soft skin under the palm of her hand. She suddenly felt nervous, yet excited at the same time. _What is with you Callie snap out of it_ she thought to herself _._ Gaining some composure back she smiled at the blonde "it's okay. Really. I certainly wasn't expecting it but your dog seems nice" she said as she reached back down to pet Charlie. Seeing the flustered blonde woman standing in front of her she noticed that her smile was still stretched across her face. The warmth in her chest and cheeks didn't go away.

"You're bleeding" the blonde said grabbing Callie's arm for a second time. As if the first time they touched didn't send heat pulsing through the brunette, the second touch sent her over the edge. Callie wasn't sure she could take much more being in this close proximity with the beautiful blonde.

"It's fine. Really" she looked down watching crimson liquid ooze out of a long gash on her arm. It was certainly not in her plan to get hurt during her adventures into the wild, but the scrape didn't look too bad.

Hearing the dog whine, she heard the blonde speak down at the dog "Damnit Charlie. What has gotten into you?" Seeing blue eyes meet hers once again, the blonde continued to apologize. "I am really, really sorry. Why don't we head over to my car so that I can clean it off and stich you up if you need it?" she asked. Callie tilted her head in confusion. "Oh, right. You don't know. I am not some crazy person that has suture kits in her car for fun" she laughed "I am a doctor and I have supplies that I keep with me just in case. Well not really an adult doctor, but a pediatric surgeon, but I could still stich your arm up if you would like? I didn't even think to myself that you didn't know that about me because, well, let's face it, everyone in this town knows everyone and I just thought…"

The blonde was rambling. With every word that came out of the blonde's mouth, Callie felt herself being pulled in more and more, but hearing the word doctor, Callie immediately froze. Stiffing at the realization that Callie was developing feelings for the blonde on sight, she pulled her arm back from the blonde's grasp and stepped backwards. "I…I will be fine. You have a nice dog. It was nice meeting you" Callie said as she turned back towards her car, leaving the blonde standing there staring.

Two days later, she found herself still in the small down of Beaufort, North Carolina, population just over 4,000 people. She had expected to just pass through the town, but the peacefulness of the beach and the quietness of the town enticed her to stay a little while longer. She was staying in a small beachfront cottage she found on one of those online rental sites that was absolutely perfect and no neighbors in sight and within walking distance to the town center. She had decided this was where she wanted to stay for a while before continuing on her drive.

That evening, she decided to go to the local grocery store to stock up on food and wine. The store was empty, just like pretty much everything else in town and when she got to the checkout counter, she rang the bell to summon the store clerk. Looking through her purse she heard a familiar voice from behind her. "I don't have my dog with me this time to maul you" the blonde from the beach said as she stepped around the counter.

Callie was dumbfounded, completely shocked that a pediatric surgeon would be working at the town grocery store. "What…"

Choosing to ignore the stunned look on the brunette's face, the blonde continued "Are you just passing through or are you staying here for a while?"

Callie was once again lost in the stunning blue eyes that were locked into her brown orbs. "I'm not sure yet" she managed to squeak out breaking eye contact to continue to search through her purse for money.

"Your arm looks like it's healing well. You didn't have to go see Dr. Anthony to get stitches, I would have done them at my car" the blonde said reaching for the brunette's arm, only to have her pull back.

"I didn't" Callie said sharply. Quickly changing the subject "How much do I owe you?" she asked.

"Ummm that I will be $47.68."

Callie pulled her debit card out of her wallet and handed it to the blonde.

"Oh. I'm sorry. We are cash only" she heard the blonde say.

Looking down into her wallet, she only had two $20 bills. "Shit. Okay, is there an ATM around?"

"Well there is one at the bank, but it is only open between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm. I'm sorry."

"No its fine. I didn't think. I'll put back the wine and the box of cereal."

"Just, pay me tomorrow" she heard the blonde reply. "I mean, I trust you won't skip town and not pay me $7.68" she laughed.

Callie's heart was melting with every second she was standing in front of the blonde. She had never felt this way before about a complete stranger. Knowing that she had to come back to see the blonde tomorrow made her pulse race and her heart pound in her chest. Shaking the thought out of her head and keeping calm, she simply nodded and replied "tomorrow."

Grabbing the brown paper bag full of groceries, she thanked the blonde and made her way out into the warm night's air. Hearing the ding of the door to the store opening behind her she also heard the blonde yell out "Calliope" stopping her dead in her tracks. She hated when people called her that, but hearing it come from the blonde sent a slight shiver up her spine and sent her thoughts into overdrive.

"You forgot your debit card" she said running up towards brunette. Turning around to face her, she was met once again with beautiful blue eyes and an outstretched hand with a small orange plastic hard in her grasp. "Here you go" she said.

Callie reached up and briefly brushed her finger along the blonde's hand when she took back her debit card, confirming the feelings that were growing inside her for the blonde. Clearing her throat she whispered "thank you. Not like it can do me much good tonight though" she laughed which triggered the blonde to laugh with her.

"Yeah unfortunately being in a small town doesn't have the infrastructure to support credit cards in every location, although we are getting better. Before you know it, we will have a credit card machine at Joe's bar. Then things will really get wild around here" she said sarcastically, her smile growing wide exposing her dimples on her face.

Callie picked up the blonde's tone and couldn't help but laugh. Dimples. The blonde had dimples. _Were they there the other day at the beach?_ Callie thought to herself. Not only was the blonde breathtaking, but she had dimples. Callie's weakness. Shaking her head to snap back into reality, she smiled back at the blonde. "Thank you. I better be getting back before it gets too dark to see" she said turning around.

"Arizona."

Callie turned around to look at the blonde.

"My name is Arizona" the blonde said sheepishly.

Callie smiled, "It's nice to meet you, Arizona" she said as she turned and walked down the street, thinking about the blonde the entire way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi Everyone! Thanks for the encouraging reviews! I wanted to get the next chapter up pretty quickly while I work on the next chapter. I am really motivated with this story line and hope to be able to update often. As always, your reviews are appreciated!**

 **PS - Who's excited for Grey's Season 14 tonight!**

The next day, as promised, Callie stopped at the bank to get cash and made her way over to the local grocery store to pay Arizona back for the stuff she bought last night. Hearing the familiar ding of the door when she walked in she was immediately met with blue eyes that belonged to an elderly woman behind the counter. "Can I help you" the woman said.

"Hi. Um, is Arizona available?" she said quickly glancing around the store hoping to catch a glimpse of the blonde.

"Oh honey, you just missed her. She got called into work" the woman said. Callie could tell the woman was eyeing her up and down, looking over every curve and not hiding it one bit. It made Callie a little bit uncomfortable, but also weirdly charming at the same time. "Are you a friend of Arizona's? I've never seen you around before."

"Oh, um yes, well, no, I mean." Callie became nervous. There was something about this town that made everyone feel like family and the elderly woman in front of her was no different. "I just met Arizona a few days ago and I stopped by the store last night but I didn't have enough cash on me so she said I could drop it off this morning."

"My granddaughter would give the whole story away if she could. That girl" she laughed "she has a huge heart but knows nothing about running a business."

Callie felt a smile begin to take over her face as she heard the woman talk about Arizona. She barely knew her, but already, she felt like they have known each other for years. Every word out of her mouth about the blonde was a confirmation of things that Callie had been thinking about ever since she met the blonde. But one thing she didn't know was if the blonde was interested in women. Callie felt like she had been flirting with her, but she had certainly been wrong about that in the past. The two women chatted about Arizona for about a half hour before Callie realized she never actually gave the money back to the store, which was the whole reason she was there in the first place.

"Oh before I forget, $7.68" she said as she handed the woman $10.00. "Keep the change as a way of saying thank you for letting me take my groceries home last night" she laughed.

"My, my. When Arizona gives the store away, she has never had anyone return the money with interest" she laughed. "I knew I liked you. Here, they are Arizona's favorite. Thought you might like them too" she tossed a bag of peanut M&Ms her way.

"Thank you, Mrs?"

"Robbins. Bernadette Robbins. But you can call me Grandma Bernie" she replied.

Smiling she responded "thank you Grandma Bernie." Callie once again turned to head out the door, but was stopped when she heard Grandma Bernie ask how long she was in town for.

"That's a good question. I'm not sure. Still trying to figure that out" she replied and headed out to the beach to enjoy her day.

A week passed by and Callie was really enjoying herself in this small town. There wasn't a lot to do, except go to the beach, shop around the local stores on Main Street, and eat at a few restaurants in town, but she liked it this way. She had spent her entire life living in big cities and she was finally ready for a change. Stopping here might have been the best thing that could have happened to her. She was starting to get to know the local people and was considering staying for a few months, hell, maybe even a year. She had nowhere to go, nowhere to be and decided that she was going to hide out in the small town of Beaufort for a while. She knew that if she was going to stay here though, she would have to get a job and possibly a longer lease in a property.

She was a little sad that she hadn't seen Arizona since their encounter at the store last week. She stopped by to see Grandma Bernie just about every day, hoping to catch a glimpse of the blonde, but she was disappointed every time. Conversation with Grandma Bernie was easy, though, almost as if she was her own Abuela. Callie even started teaching her Spanish.

One afternoon, she made her way down to the local Shrimp Shack restaurant and inquired about a job. "Oh you are the woman that Grandma Bernie was talking about" the owner of the Shrimp Shack said upon meeting Callie. Callie blushed and it was then that she realized that living in a small town meant everyone knew your business.

"I hope all good things" Callie nonchalantly replied.

"Oh yes, she said that granddaughter of hers has the hots for you" she laughed.

Callie's eyes widened. Arizona was gay. Heat immediately rushed to her cheeks and she knew it was apparent to the woman standing in front of her how flustered that comment made her.

"Relax honey, your secrete is safe with me" she laughed. "Now, how about bartending? Are you any good?"

Callie felt her mouth run dry. Her head was spinning and she was starting to hyperventilate. _Arizona likes me?_ She thought to herself. She wasn't expecting to become friends with anyone on her journey, let along fall for someone, but she could feel herself falling hard for the blonde that she only met a little of a week ago. And now, she found out that the blonde was interested in her too. "Earth to Callie?" she heard the owner, Dorothy call for her. "Yes, sorry. I can bartend" she said looking back up at Dorothy.

"Okay great. How about you start tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow would be great. Thank you. See you then." Callie shook Dorothy's hand and turned to walk out the door, excited to start working in a low stress job compared to the one she left behind in Seattle.

Another week passed and Callie was loving her new life in Beaufort. She loved her job at the Shrimp Shack and she was starting to get to know the locals around town. She even fancied going to Joe's bar after work sometimes with a few coworkers. It had been two weeks since she had seen the blonde, though, and Callie was really starting to miss her. Not that she knew enough about the blonde to be allowed to miss her, but there was certainly a connection there that she knew was worth getting to know. She finished up her shift and decided to head over to Joe's. Her coworkers turned in early for the night so Callie went alone and sat at the corner of the bar so that she could watch people as they mingled with their friends. This was something the enjoyed doing because it was peaceful. After a few drinks, she saw the door open and the blonde she had been waiting to see come through the door. Callie could feel her mouth hang open as she ogled over the blonde. She was absolutely stunning. She was wearing tight, dark jeans that hugged her hips in all the right places and a flowing white shirt, cut low, with killer heels. There was no doubt that she was dressed to kill. Callie watched as she made her way over to where an equally gorgeous red head was sitting. _Great. She is on a date_ she said to herself, her smile drooping to a frown. Before she had a chance to look away, her eyes met those baby blues she had been longing to see. Arizona smiled at her and locked eyes. Callie nodded and forced a fake smile before downing her drink, leaving money on the bar, and walking out.

Callie sat on her front porch of her house with a glass of red wine. She was already a little tipsy from Joe's but she didn't care. She needed something to get rid of the thought that Arizona was on a date with another woman. A woman that was not her. She didn't really know why this bothered her so much. They had barely spoken since she got here, expect for the incident at the beach and not having enough cash at her store. Hell, they hadn't even seen each other in two weeks. Callie had no right to be jealous, but somehow she found herself stewing on her front porch and drowning her sorrows in a bottle of wine. She wasn't sure if she was seeing things but she swore she saw Arizona coming down her drive way. Figuring it was only the alcohol in her head talking, she took another sip. Seeing the figure come closer she confirmed that it was Arizona walking towards her house.

"Arizona?" she questioned to the blonde.

"Hi" they blonde said, barely audible to the brunette.

"What are you doing here? How did you know where I am staying?" she questioned, her tone a little harsher than she would have liked it to be but she was drunk and slightly upset over nothing.

"Small town remember?" she let out a small laugh but her tone immediately went back to a sense of nervousness based on Callie's tone. "I, um, came to see if you were okay. You left the bar in quite a hurry" she said now stepping up onto the porch. Her face was lit by a dim light that was hanging over the entranceway that illuminated a concerned, yet beautiful face.

Callie dropped her eyes to stare down into the red liquid that was swirling around in her glass. "Peachy" was all she managed to say.

Arizona wasn't sure what to say next. It was apparent the brunette was drunk and upset, but she couldn't figure out why. She, herself, was also a tad bit tipsy and had no idea what made her wander over to check on the brunette. It's not like they were friends, but somehow, she was drawn to the brunette like a magnet. "Calliope" she whispered.

"It's Callie." She gritted through her teeth. The thought of the blonde calling her Calliope made her heart swell with joy, but after seeing her with the redhead tonight, she built an imaginary wall around her heart.

"I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?" Arizona asked. She was totally caught off guard with Callie's correction about her name. She knew the brunette was mad at her but she was flabbergasted as to what could possibly be wrong.

"No, Arizona. You did nothing wrong. Go back to your _date_ " she responded putting extra emphasis on the word date. Callie got up and went inside leaving Arizona on the porch speechless. After a few moments, she heard pounding on the door. "Calliope open the door" she heard the blonde yell. Turning on the shower, she stepped in, thinking that if she ignored the blonde she would just go away. She stayed in the shower a little longer than normal. After about twenty minutes, and no more banging on the door, she dried herself off and changed into pajamas. Realizing she left her phone on the porch, she opened the door to find the blonde siting in her rocking chair, still waiting for her.

"What are you still doing here? Do you not know that by me not answering the door means I don't want to see you on my porch either?" she huffed and folded her arms over her chest.

"You know what, no. You don't get to do this."

"Do what?"

"This. Act like nothing is wrong when clearly I did something to upset you." Arizona was furious. She saw the hurt in Callie's eyes, and she knew it was not her place to be prodding into the brunette's life, but clearly the brunette was upset because of her. Arizona was never one to go to bed angry or upset so she needed Callie to talk to her.

"Arizona, forget it. You did nothing wrong. We barely know each other. I mean we've met, what, twice since I've moved here?" Callie could feel herself breaking down and rambling. "You did nothing wrong. It was just me making a bigger deal out of nothing. Forget about it." Callie went silent and stared down at the floor.

"Callie." Arizona's voice was soft and caring. The concern pierced right through Arizona's heart that was shattered into a million pieces. "Talk to me. I can't fix what's wrong if I don't know. And I don't want to _forget it_. I want to fix this" and with that she reached down and tugged lightly on the brunette's arm that was folded around her chest.

Feeling Arizona's skin against hers immediately sent shockwaves pulsing through the brunette. After a few moments she released a breath she didn't realize she was holding and looked into the blonde's eyes. "I guess it's that I've barely talked to you in the last two weeks, and…" she couldn't believe she was about to admit this but for some reason, Arizona made her want to tell her everything. "I guess when I saw you on your date I became jealous that she got to spend time with you and I didn't. So there. That's what's wrong. Stupid I know. Especially since we barely know each other. It's not like we are friends."

Callie was rambling again but in the midst of the ramble, a lightbulb finally went off in Arizona's head. She thought I was on a date! _Was she jealous?_ She thought to herself. "Callie…Callie…" she called but was unable to distract the babbling brunette. "Calliope" she finally said with enough force behind her words to get the brunette's attention. "Why do you keep using the word date? What makes you think that?"

Callie's eyes grew wide. _Had she misinterpreted what Dorothy had said? Did she mean it in a friendly way? Was Arizona not gay?_ She thought to herself. "I…well…it's just that…"Callie felt her mouth go dry. The alcohol mixed with panic certainly did not make for a good combination.

"It's just what?" Arizona was very curious as to the brunette's response. She liked Callie, a lot, in fact. She hoped that she liked her back, but she wasn't sure what was going on in that pretty head of hers to cause her to literally stumble over her words.

"Dorothy. She told me that…"

"I'm going to kill those two!" Arizona said putting her hands over hear face. She didn't need to hear what Dorothy had told Callie. It was routine for Dorothy and her Grandma drop little hints of love into every girl that is new in town, Callie being no exception. "Calliope I am so sorry. Those two old biddies run the rumor mill around this town and my love life is no exception to their antics." She watched as the brunette's face turned pale, a slight frown was plastered across her beautiful bronze face.

Callie hated to know the answer to this question because she was pretty sure the answer was no from the way Arizona reacted to what Dorothy has said, but she had to ask it anyway. "So you're not…"

"Gay?" The blonde finished her sentence and raised an eyebrow to look for Callie's response.

"Yeah" the brunette replied sheepishly.

"Oh I am totally gay, it's just that every girl that comes into Beaufort is not gay and my Grandma and her friend don't seem to care" she giggled.

Relief flashed on Callie's face just for a moment until she remembered why she was upset in the first place. Arizona had been with another girl at the bar. "So you _were_ on a date this evening?"

"Would that make you jealous if I was on a date with the hot redhead from the bar?" she prodded, hoping to find out if Callie was interested in her.

"I…uh, well…no, I mean, like I said, we barely know each other." Arizona immediately could tell Callie was lying. She was a terrible liar and Arizona was beginning to be able to read Callie like a book.

Thinking carefully about her next words, Arizona knew the brunette couldn't handle much more angst. "No Calliope. I was not on a date tonight. Addison is one of my very best friends. She was passing through and we decided to grab a drink before she continued on her way home to Boston."

Callie let out a sigh of relief. She felt stupid. She couldn't believe she overreacted. She barely knew Arizona but seeing her out with someone set a fire to the Latina like she never knew existed. Her body softened hearing she was only out with a friend, but she kept her guard up. She was falling hard for the blonde and they had barely spoken more than a few words to each other. "I'm sorry Arizona. I really am. I don't know what came over me" she said once again looking into the blonde's eyes. "You don't deserve the fiery wrath of the Latina, especially when we barely know each other" she laughed seeing how this whole situation was blown out of proportion.

"No Calliope, I don't deserve that. So how about next time, you just talk to me?" Arizona was soft and sincere. She saw Callie nod her head in agreement before she continued. "And as far as not knowing each other, and now that you are staying in Beaufort for a while, I think it's time to get to know each other a little better" she smiled looking at the brunette. "Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow, Pier 39?" she questioned.

There it was again, the butterflies and the heat rushing through her body upon hearing Arizona asking her to come to dinner. The Latina couldn't find the right words to respond, and simply nodded.

"Great. See you at 7" she laughed and turned to walk off the porch before hearing the Latina speak up behind her.

The Latina was left in silence on her porch, the sounds of the North Carolina night piercing through her ears. If she wasn't sure before if this was a good place to spend some time, she was sure now. She was getting a chance to get to know Arizona and start her life over again.


	3. Chapter 3

Callie could feel the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach intensify as she got closer and closer to Pier 39. It was a warm fall night so she decided to walk the short distance to the restaurant for her date. She was so excited to actually spend time with the blonde she has been yearning to see since their first encounter on the beach. As soon as she approached the restaurant, Callie spotted Arizona sitting on the patio that was over the water's edge. Arizona looked stunning. She was wearing a strapless white dress with wedge heel sandals that tied around her ankle. Her golden hair was curly and flowed over her shoulders perfectly. Callie paused for a moment to catch her breath and compose herself before she went over to their table.

"Is this seat taken" Callie giggled as she sat down next to Arizona so they were both looking out into the water.

"What if I would have said yes? You would have just taken their seat" she laughed and winked at the brunette.

"Well then I would have had to fight them off because I vividly remember you invited me to dinner tonight. Right after I was being a crazy person." Callie tried to keep the mood light, but truthfully, she was still embarrassed about the way she acted towards Arizona, especially after finding out the redhead was only a friend.

Arizona could sense the realness of her comment and reached over to place her hand on a strong, tan arm to give Callie a sign that everything was okay. Trying to focus the brunette's mind back on tonight, she continued her playful banter. "You're lucky because you are exactly who I was expecting to see" she laughed. "Although I don't think I have seen fancy Calliope before. Just a sandy Calliope, a hungry Calliope, and an upset Calliope. You look absolutely stunning."

Callie could feel her face heat up. She was definitely blushing at Arizona's compliment. Callie decided to wear a tight navy blue halter dress with fancy sandals and a light jacket in case it became chilly. As Callie took her seat, Arizona felt heat rush towards her core as she watched the brunette take off her jacket, exposing the outline of Callie's plump breasts.

Before the two had a chance to begin their conversation, an older gentleman approached their table. "Arizona my dear! I haven't seen you here in quite some time. How's my favorite doctor doing?" he asked.

The blonde jumped out of her seat and embraced the man in a tight hug. "It is so nice to see you! I am sorry I haven't been around. I have just been so busy working on that case with Addison."

Callie tried to distract herself as to not eavesdrop on their conversation but was pulled back in when Arizona introduced her. "Willard, this is my new friend Calliope. Calliope, this is an old friend of mine and Dorothy's husband, Willard" she beamed. "Willard is the owner of the restaurant."

"It's nice to meet you, Willard" Callie stood up and outstretched her hand.

"So what brings you to Beaufort? People don't just end up here, there is usually a reason."

Callie's eyes grew wide and her palms began to sweat. She knew it was only a matter of time before people started asking her that question, but she wasn't prepared for it tonight. She was good at thinking on her feet so that she could keep her secrete. Callie simply responded "I was just passing through and decided this was a perfect town to stay and relax for a little while" figuring the man would drop the subject.

"Ah so you are starting over?" he laughed. "That is how most of us ended up here. Well you certainly picked a great person to become friends with. Arizona here knows all about starting over" he smiled patting her on the back.

"Willard!" Arizona gasped. Her face was pure shock and panic. She was not one to talk about her past and the whole reason she chose to be in this town was to focus on the future.

Callie shared a quick glance in Arizona's direction before focusing her attention back to Willard.

"Jeez I'm sorry Arizona. Relax. I'm sure Callie will love it here. Anyway, it was nice to meet you Callie. Please let me know if you need anything while you are in town." When the conversation finally ended, Willard sent a waitress over with a complimentary bottle of wine.

The two sat in an awkward silence for a few moments, neither of them wanting to talk about what Willard just brought up. It was clear that they both had a past and they were in this town to escape something, but neither was ready to share.

After a few moments, Arizona finally broke the silence. "So you said you didn't go see Dr. Anthony to stich up your arm, yet the stitches are perfect. Who did them for you?" Arizona asked running her finger along the seamless stich where her dog mauled Callie's perfect skin.

Callie's heart began to beat out of her chest. _Really? First I get cornered with why I am here and now she wants to ask about my profession?_ She wasn't ready to talk about this subject, this was all too much for her. "Uh, I did" she responded quickly, followed by "excuse me. I have to use the restroom."

Arizona watched as the brunette quickly made her way towards the back of the restaurant. She could sense Callie tense at both the topic of her past and the fact that she was able to stich herself up, which could only mean that she, too, was in the medical field. There was a lot of mystery about the woman sitting beside her, sparking her curiosity, but she thought it would be best to leave these two topics alone and focus on other things to ensure she didn't make her uncomfortable.

Opening the door to the restroom, Callie immediately shut the door behind her and looked in the mirror at herself. She hadn't experienced a panic attack since the incident. "Pull it together Callie. What is wrong with you" she said out loud. Arizona made her want to share everything there was to know about her past, yet she was so scared that it would make her run. Callie brushed a tear that was threatening to fall out of her eye and took a deep breath. "You can do this" she said. After a few moments, she made her way back out to the blonde that was almost finished with her first glass of wine.

"Thirsty?" she laughed trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm sorry Calliope. I didn't mean to pry" she responded looking down at the liquid in her glass.

Reaching over to grab the cream hand that was resting on the side of the table, Callie laced her fingers with the blondes. "Arizona, look at me." She watched as soft blue eyes lifted from their gaze to meet her eyes. "I'm just not ready to talk about it, yet." She paused for a moment before continuing. "I don't know what it is, but you make me want to tell you everything and that scares the hell out of me. But I'm just not ready yet." Callie continued to hold Arizona's hand but dropped her eyes to look into her wine glass.

Looking into pleading dark eyes, she knew Callie was uncomfortable with something, she just didn't know what. "I'm a great listener, when you are ready of course" Arizona responded softly. "There is no rush."

Callie's heart filled with warmth. She wasn't expecting that reaction from the blonde, yet somehow, she knew it would be okay. Callie looked back up at Arizona and smiled. After the initial awkward moment, the pair slipped into a comfortable conversation about everything and anything. They avoided topics like family and future, but both felt like the conversation flowed perfectly, so much that when the waiter informed them the restaurant was closing, a sigh of sadness escaped the pair.

"I want to show you something, Calliope. That is if you're not too tired."

"I'm all yours for the evening" she laughed but quickly became embarrassed on how her words sounded coming out of her mouth. "Oh God! I didn't mean it like that, I…"

Arizona giggled. "Relax. I knew what you meant. I promise to have you home before you turn into a pumpkin" she teased. Seeing the brunette's anxiety disappear, she grabbed the rest of their second bottle of wine and some glasses and walked outside into the street.

Arizona led Callie down a boardwalk the brunette had yet to explore. The walk was a little longer than Callie expected, but she felt at peace walking along the path under dimly lit street lights and a full moon with Arizona. The conversation on the way towards their destination continued to flow like it had at dinner and Callie was really enjoying spending time with Arizona. The boardwalk ended at a desolate beach, a gazebo just barely visible along the tree line. Looking up at the night sky, Callie could see every start imaginable. "This is magnificent Arizona" she gasped.

"I come here to think. Being in a small town, everyone knows your business. It's nice to just escape that every once in a while" she laughed, taking Callie's hand in hers. Feeling the brunette's skin made her heart race. "This is the best spot in all of Beaufort to see the night sky because the lights from the town do not reflect on the stars."

The pair made their way to the gazebo and poured another glass of wine to finish up the bottle. Callie stood behind Arizona, resting her front against the blonde's back, her arms holding the blonde in place against the railing. "It's really peaceful" Callie softly whispered into Arizona's ear, sending chills down the blonde's spine. The pair stood in silence for a few moments watching the waves calmly flow into the sand. Callie's senses were in overdrive. Being so close to the blonde she could smell her honey shampoo in her golden curls.

There was something about being here with Arizona that made Callie finally feel free and at peace. She set her wine glass down on the railing of the gazebo and ran towards the ocean water, leaving a shocked and amused Arizona behind. Reaching the water's edge Callie ran through the water. The coolness of the ocean mixed with the warm air brought out the brunette's inner child.

Arizona's heart swelled with love. Seeing the brunette so carefree brought on feelings that she had never experienced before. She heard the brunette call out her name, yelling for her to join. Arizona smiled and shook her head. She was enjoying watching Callie too much to move. Before she knew it, the brunette was running back towards the gazebo and before she had time to react, Callie scooped her up and ran back down to the water with her over her shoulder. "Callie!" she screamed. "Put me down! Callie" her small giggle turning into a roaring laugh. She hated to admit it but this was the most fun she'd had in months, maybe even years. Callie pull the blonde off her shoulder and into her arms so she was parallel with the ocean waves as if she was going to drop her into the water. "Callie, no! No, no, no" Arizona laughed even though she was so close to the water. Feeling Callie stand her straight up so that she was on her feet in the cool ocean, her heartbeat slowed down and she continue to laugh, right alongside the brunette.

"You didn't think that I would actually dunk you into the water, did you?" Callie smirked, seeing the smile plastered across the blonde's face.

"I don't know, Calliope, would you?" she teased as she leaned down to run her hand along the ocean water to splash it up to soak the brunette. Arizona turned to run back up towards the gazebo but before she knew it, the brunette scooped her back up and walked deeper into the ocean, this time Arizona's legs were wrapped tightly around Callie's torso, clinging on for dear life. "Calliope!" she screamed as she felt her dress take on water as she was slowly lowered, still wrapped in Callie's embrace. The pair was now submerged into the water but neither cared. The sensation of love and lust filled their heads as they stayed in each other's embrace as cool water flowed all around them.

Catching her breath, Callie looked into Arizona's warm blue eyes. "Thank you for a wonderful evening Arizona. I have never had this much fun with anyone before."

"No, thank you Calliope. For coming into my life and bringing back a spark in my eyes" she confessed. Arizona knew if they were going to continue whatever this was they would eventually have to talk about their pasts but tonight was not the night. Tonight, she could feel herself falling in love for the first time in a very long time and she wasn't about to let this moment pass her by. She slowly pulled herself closer to the brunette, scanning her eyes for permission as she placed a soft, gentle kiss on Callie's waiting lips. The kiss was soft and gentle but full of passion. Pulling away, Arizona looked back into Callie's eyes, pulling a long strand of brown hair that had fallen back behind the brunette's ear.

Callie smiled. She had never experienced a kiss so passionate yet so simple as the one she shared with Arizona. Her heart was so full as she stared back into light blue eyes that were now a darker shade of blue, showing nothing but sincerity and love. After a few moments, Callie noticed Arizona shiver slightly in her arms. She couldn't tell if it was from the kiss they had just shared or the coolness of the water, but she figured they should probably head back up towards the gazebo and head home before either of them caught a cold. "Let's get you warm, shall we?" she giggled walking back out of the ocean with Arizona still wrapped around her waist. Arizona finally unwrapped her legs from Callie's torso and walked hand and hand with Callie back to where they left their belongings. Callie noticed Arizona's teeth were chattering from the cool breeze mixed with her wet body. Once they reached the gazebo, Callie grabbed her jack and placed it around the blonde's shoulders. "Here. It's the least I can do considering I'm the reason you are cold" she smirked.

"That might be my body's response to the water and the cool air, but trust me Calliope, I am anything but cold" she flirted, grabbing the wine glasses and skipping towards the boardwalk. "Are you coming?" she asked the brunette over her shoulder.

Callie swallowed hard at Arizona's playfulness. Butterflies filled her stomach and heat rushed to every nerve in her body. Seeing Arizona starting to disappear over the ridge of the sand, Callie quickly ran to catch up with her. "Where are you going" Callie asked in between breaths.

"Well we can't stay in these wet clothes any longer. My house is right down that road. I figured we could change before I walk you home?" she smiled taking a hold of the brunette's warm hand. Callie nodded in agreement.

The walk to Arizona's was quite, both just enjoying each other's company. It was only a short distance from the beach and upon entering Arizona's front door, she was immediately greeted by the dog that had once knocked her down on the beach her first day in Beaufort.

"Easy Charlie" Arizona growled at the dog.

"Hey boy! Nice to see you again" Callie exclaimed reaching down to pet the dog.

Arizona stood in the door, dumbfounded. Charlie was usually aggressive when new people came to the house, but he was already rolling on his back to make Callie give him a belly rub. "I really can't believe it. Charlie isn't usually this good around strangers and he certainly doesn't give out kisses to just anyone" the blonde snickered. "He must really like you."

"What's not to like" Callie playfully replied as she continued to play with Charlie.

While petting the dog, Callie watched Arizona disappear into a back room and quickly return with a pair of sweats and a T-shirt for Callie. "Here, this should work" she said handing the clothes to Callie before returning back down the hall. After changing, Arizona reappeared. "I could really go for some hot tea to shake this chill. Would you care for any?" she asked.

Callie didn't want this night to end just yet so she happily accepted the offer and sat down on the couch, across from a barely lit fireplace. "You know you really shouldn't leave fireplaces burning when you aren't home" she laughed.

"Well then we wouldn't have any heat in the house and then you would really be in trouble for getting me wet" she laughed. "It doesn't get too cold in North Carolina, except the occasional freak snow storm so I really didn't see the need to have heat installed" she shrugged handing the tea to Callie and taking her spot on the opposite end of the couch.

"Ah I see."

"And if it gets too cold in my bedroom, I just come out here and make a bed next to the fireplace to stay warm and use Charlie as a blanket. It seems to work out okay."

"I wonder if my place has heat. I didn't even think about it. I just assumed."

"Well I can certainly show you what to do if it doesn't" the blonde laughed, taking a sip of her tea. "So worrying about winter I see? Does that mean you are staying around for a while?"

"I really don't have a plan" Callie replied as she dropped her gaze from the blonde's face.

"Well I hope your plan involves going out with me again" she hinted as she watched Callie's megawatt smile once again return to her face.

"I would love that. Are you free this Saturday? It is supposed to be nice."

"I have a consult in the morning but I can be free after 10?"

"Perfect. Bring your bathing suit and your appetite" she laughed.

"Going to the beach?"

"You'll see."

The two continued laughing and talking for hours, just like they were old friends that hadn't seen each other in years. They didn't realize they had stayed up and talked all night until the beams of sunlight began shining through the window.

"Oh my God! What time is it?" Arizona gasped. "Callie! It's 6:45 in the morning!" Arizona's eyes were wide in realization that not only had she spent the entire evening laughing and talking with the brunette, but she also managed to have her 'spend the night' without even realizing it. "I am so sorry! I promised to have you home before you turned into a pumpkin. I didn't mean for you to stay the night, well especially since it was our first date, even though we didn't sleep, I mean we didn't sleep at all actually, we just talked, and I…" Arizona's rambling was cut short when plump red lips crashed into her pink ones.

Pulling away just slightly so that her head was resting on Arizona's, Callie smiled as she looked into blue orbs. "I loved every minute, Arizona." She leaned back in and kissed pink lips once more before standing up from the couch, pulling Arizona with her, and walking her back towards what she assumed was Arizona's bedroom.

"What are you doing?" Arizona nervously asked.

"I am going to tuck you in for a good _mornings_ sleep so that you can rest, while I head home and get some shut eye of my own" she laughed.

"Callie, no. I was supposed to walk you home. This was my date and I was supposed to walk you to your doorstep, kiss you good night, and make my way back home smiling like a silly school girl" Arizona huffed.

"Next time" Callie winked at the blonde. "Bed. Now" she demanded.

Arizona's heart was beating so fast. Feeling Callie tuck her into bed made her breath hitch and lust fill once again within her core. This was the first time a date had taken her back to her bedroom with no intentions of sex. This was new, and different, and Arizona really wanted to continue down this path they were on. This thing with Callie was about more than just sex. It was about friendship, and love, and lust. She felt it and she knew that Callie could feel it as well.

Tucking her into bed as she promised, Callie leaned over and softly kissed Arizona's lips before placing a final kiss against the blonde's temple. "Good _morning_ Arizona. I really enjoyed spending the night with you" she giggled. "Thanks for a fantastic evening. Sweet dreams" she whispered.

"Looking forward to Saturday" she replied. "Sweet dreams, Calliope."

 **Next Chapter, Callie's date! Will they talk about why Callie is there? Will they talk about why Arizona had to start over? Will they be able to handle the truth? Let me know your thoughts! As always, reviews are welcomed!**


	4. Chapter 4

The countdown to Saturday was pure torture, and it was only Wednesday. It had been three full days since she had seen Callie, well technically 3 days and 18 hours but who is counting. They made a point to text each other at least once a day, but with Arizona being in Boston for the week to continue working on a case with Addison, she had little time to even pee let along talk to Callie. The time was approaching midnight when she finally made it back to Addison's apartment to catch some much needed shut eye. Luckily for her, Addison was staying at the hospital overnight so there would be no distractions for her beauty rest. Arizona was just about to get in the shower when she heard her phone beep, signaling a text message had come through.

"Ugh really. I just left there" she huffed making her way over to her phone but her grumpy mood immediately changed when she noticed the text was from the sexy brunette back in Beaufort.

 **I missed you today. Hope your surgery went well – C**

Arizona smiled and her heart filled with joy. She had been thinking about Callie ever since they stayed up all night laughing and talking and she was excited to know the brunette had been thinking about her too.

 **I missed you too. Sorry I couldn't say hi today. I am just getting back to Addison's after a marathon day. – A**

 **I'm sure you did great :) I know you must be tired so I will let you get to bed, but I just wanted to say hi – C**

 **I certainly am tired, but not too tired to talk to you… give me 10 minutes to shower and then I will face time you – A xo**

Callie read the text and her mind immediately went straight to picturing Arizona, naked, wet in the shower. It was an image that she certainly hoped to experience one day in person, but the thought of Arizona naked and wet right now caused arousal to pool between her thighs. Deciding it would be a good idea to get a cold shower so she didn't seem too flushed when Arizona faced timed her, she quickly rid her clothes and jumped in.

In the middle of drying off, Callie heard her phone ring in the other room. "Damn it" she hissed, quickly wrapping herself in a towel and running to answer the face time.

"Are you naked?" Arizona asked in shock. She was silently hoping the answer was yes, but she didn't want to seem too eager. The way Callie positioned the screen and the towel wrapped around her clearly made it seem that way.

"What would you say if I said yes" Callie teased, raising her eyebrows at the blonde.

Arizona's eyes grew big. "Calliope" she husked. "Don't tease me like that" she warned.

"Relax. I just got out of the shower and didn't want to miss your call" she said as she dropped the phone to show the towel wrapped around her body. "Let me change real quick."

Callie set the phone down and quickly slipped on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. Bringing the phone back in front of her face, she smiled at the blonde. Arizona looked adorable. She was curled up in a fleece blanket, a look of pure sleepiness in her eyes, yet she was glowing with excitement.

"How did your day go?" she asked.

"Ugh. I don't know. I thought we had a great plan to move forward on our case, but the poor kid hasn't been able to tolerate moderate sedation and Addison isn't sure the procedure we are planning to do is going to work" she sighed. "I feel like I am going around in circles and not making any progress. We have been working on this case for months, Callie. I'm not sure if I can take much more. Every time we go into his room, his eyes are filled with hope. I'm not sure I have much more hope to give."

Callie saw the sadness in Arizona's soft blue eyes. Nervously, she asked Arizona "Do you want me to take a look?" Callie never told Arizona about the work she used to do in Seattle, and moving to Beaufort, she swore she would never step foot in an OR again, but the desperation in the blonde's eyes made Callie want to do anything and everything for the blonde.

"Callie, no offense, but I'm not sure you can help. We are talking about a complex surgical case on a 6 year old child that has Osteomalacia due to Malabsorption – it's basically rickets on steroids. He has other issues but having his bones basically break in his body for no reason is something that I am not sure you can help with."

Taking a deep breath, Callie decided to confess. "I was an orthopedic surgeon" she whispered.

Arizona was rambling on and on about the child that she barely heard with Callie said and just about when she was going to start on her next soap box about the child, she paused. Her eyes grew wide and she stared at Callie. "Excuse me? What did you just say?"

"I said I was an orthopedic surgeon." Callie wasn't looking at the blonde. She had her eyes tightly shut and was trying to stop a panic attack from happening.

Arizona's mind raced and her eyes grew wide. "Callie? The Calliope Torres? The best orthopedic surgeon on the west coast – possibly the whole country?" she replied.

"Guilty."

Arizona was in shock. She sat there staring at basically the top of Callie's head. Not only did she remain silent, her head started to spin. Thinking back, she did notice the name on the debit card Callie handed her at the town store but she didn't think anything of it at the time. _Why didn't she say anything to me_ she thought to herself. Looking back at the brunette, she could see a tear roll down the side of her face. She could tell Callie was upset about something. After a few more moments of silence, Arizona finally whispered "Calliope? Talk to me."

Looking up and wiping tears from her eyes with her thumb, she look at Arizona. "I'm sorry." Her voice was fully of distain and hurt. Shaking her head, she knew Arizona wanted to know more but she wasn't ready. Clearing her throat "Did you try using blockers to pinch the nerve and do a reduction by traction and internal rotation followed by fixation with a Dynamic Hip Screw?"

Arizona remained quiet. "Well, no. I, we didn't try that" she responded slowly.

Callie half smiled. "Well I hope that helps. You better get some sleep."

"Callie" Arizona whispered.

"Please. Don't." Callie squeezed her eyes tight. "I promise, I will tell you. I just…" she whispered before opening her eyes that were threatening the spill tears again. "Not tonight."

Arizona slowly nodded her head and swallowed hard.

"Good night Arizona." Before Arizona had a chance to respond, Callie ended the call.

Arizona stared at the screen as Callie's face disappeared. She sat in silence. She knew Callie had a past and she was starting over from something, but she never dreamed it had anything to do with the work "The" Calliope Torres was doing. She hadn't even made the connection between Callie's name on the debit card and "The" Calliope Torres. As tired as she was, Arizona laid awake in bed for hours, thinking about Callie's adversity to talking about her career and the advice she gave her about the little boy she was helping Addison with. "That's it!" she jumped out of bed and raced back to the hospital to meet Addison to develop a new plan for their patient.

The next night, Callie was sitting on her front porch, watching the warm rain fall from the sky while she sipped hot tea, reading a book. Since arriving in Beaufort, this quickly became Callie's favorite past time. Being a surgeon, she rarely had time to read anything except for medical journals and case studies. This gave her an opportunity to finally read those trashy novels people always raved about.

After hanging up with Arizona last night, Callie cried herself to sleep. Keeping Arizona in the dark about why she was trying to start over was just too much for her and her fight or flight instincts started to kick in. She could once again pack up and move to a new state. Nothing was keeping her in Beaufort. Well nothing, except a certain blonde that was quickly becoming Callie's whole reason for existence. After a good night's sleep, Callie decided to stay. She was going to have to face the truth about her past eventually and she couldn't run and hide forever. Even though she hasn't known Arizona for very long, she made Callie feel safe and carefree. This is exactly what Callie had been searching for without even knowing it.

Hearing a beep from her phone, she noticed that she had another text message from Arizona.

 **Everything ok, Calliope? I get the feeling that you are upset with me - A**

She had been ignoring text messages all day from Arizona. She felt bad, but she just wasn't sure what to say. She knew she would have to deal with it eventually, but having the blonde 1,000 miles away made it easier to ignore the one person in the world that made her want to open up. She was scared. Scared of reliving the worst day of her life, making herself vulnerable once again to pain.

Realizing that this was the fifth unanswered text from Arizona, she sighed and responded.

 **Sorry, long day. – C**

 **So you are upset with me? – A**

Callie was never short with her texts. Arizona could tell right away that something was wrong. She sent a second text immediately after.

 **Talk to me Callie - A**

 **Can we please just wait until we see each other Saturday? I really don't want to do this over the phone – C**

As soon as the text was sent, a yellow taxi cab pulled into her driveway.

"What the…" Her sentence was cut short when she saw a blonde get out of the back seat.

Arizona froze in the middle of the driveway, rain now soaking through her clothes as the cab pulled away. She didn't move and neither did the brunette. They just stared at each other.

"Arizona?" Callie half asked half stated. She wasn't due back until Friday night from Boston so Callie was certainly confused to see her standing in the driveway a day early.

"It worked" Arizona said, her voice strained, holding back tears. The brunette clearly did not seem happy to see her. She should have just went straight home after her flight from Boston, but she just had to see Callie. The hurt and the pain in her eyes from last night was too much for Arizona to handle and she wanted to be able to comfort Callie however she needed.

Callie stood up from where she was sitting on the porch to get a better look at the blonde who was now soaked. She was confused. _It worked? What worked?_

Not hearing anything from the brunette, Arizona Clarified. "It worked, Callie. The procedure. It worked."

Callie softly shook her head in agreement. She knew the procedure would work.

"I, uh. Okay then. I guess I should go." Arizona turned to walk down the driveway in the direction to where the cab dropped her off.

"Tea might help" Callie said loud enough to catch the blonde's attention. "You know, to warm you up? And we better get you out of those clothes or you will catch a cold." Callie walked towards the door to her house. "Are you coming?"

Walking into the house, Arizona tentatively stood in the door way, water dripping from every inch of her body. When the brunette appeared from the back bedrooms with a change of clothes, Arizona smirked at the familiarity of the situation. "I guess you owed me" she laughed taking the clothes from Callie.

Callie gave Arizona a soft smile and disappeared into the kitchen.

Arizona quickly changed and made her way into the living room where Callie was now seated, a fresh cup of hot tea waiting for her on the coffee table. Before Arizona had a chance to speak she heard the brunette whisper.

"Do you think life has a plan for you?"

"Oh jeez." _That was a loaded question_ , Arizona thought.

"Do you?"

"If it does, it hasn't shared it with me" she sighed.

"I used to think life had a plan. A master plan where I would accomplish my dreams, meet my goals, be happy. A plan that involved saving lives, falling in love, finding out who I am supposed to be in this world." Callie took a sip of her tea, avoiding eye contact with Arizona. "And for a while there, I was doing all of those things. Saving lives, falling in love, building my career. I was on track to become the best orthopedic surgeon in the country. Except, apparently life had a different plan for me. Apparently life's plan was to see how much hurt and turmoil I could withstand. Its plan was for me to save lives at the expense of killing others, and fall in love just to be hurt by the ones you love, and to smash my dreams."

Arizona wasn't sure where Callie was going with this conversation, but she could see the joy ripped right out of the brunette's eyes, replaced with hurt, anger, and sadness. She reached over and placed her hand on the top of Callie's thigh. It wasn't sexual in any way, it was comforting.

Feeling the warmth from Arizona, Callie took another sip of her tea and continued. "My father disowned me, my girlfriend left me, and I killed my best friend. Not necessarily in that order" she laughed trying to make light of the situation "but it's why I am in Beaufort."

"Callie" the name barely escaped Arizona's mouth.

"There was an accident." Tears once again began to flow from Callie's eyes. "My best friend and his daughter were in an accident. There was so much blood. We, we tried to control it. They, um…they both needed my help…so I bounced between ORs. I kept paging and paging the other ortho attending, but apparently his golf game was more important. I did everything I could, but…I couldn't save them both" she ended her sentence with a whisper. "Looking back, his daughter didn't need me. His daughter would have been fine. He needed me, and I chose wrong."

"Oh Callie" the blonde whispered and took Callie's head into her lap. She lightly combed through the brunette's curls with her fingers and rubbed her back gently, trying to calm her down. "Shhh I got you, shhh" she whispered over and over again as she felt Callie's sobs pulsating against her thighs.

After what Callie could only describe as eternity, her mind began to refocus on her surroundings. She felt safe in Arizona's lap, a sense of calmness began to take over. Her tears began to subside and her breathing was evening out. Her panic attack was finally over. She couldn't say any more, but she knew that Arizona understood.

"My family" Arizona breathed heavily and swallowed before continuing. "They died in a car crash when I was 9. My brother and I were in the backseat. Timmy made it out without a scratch and I am just left with this scar on my temple to remind me every day of that night."

Callie slowly sat up from her warm spot to focus her attention on Arizona. Arizona slowly lifted a strand of hair out of the way so that the faint scar was now visible to Callie. "That's when we moved to Beaufort to live with Grandma Bernie." Arizona paused before continuing. "Thirteen years passed by. I had just started medical school. I moved to Boston to live with Addison and study at one of the best schools in the country. Everything was going great. Until a member of the United States Army knocked on my door. Timmy was in his sixth year in the military when he died." Arizona's eyes dropped down to where her fingers were playing with the string of her teabag. "I became a zombie through medical school. If I wasn't studying or getting good grades, I was out partying and getting into trouble. It wasn't until Grandma Bernie made the 1,000 mile drive to Boston to pick my ass up on the last day of residency and pull me back to reality. And here I am. Hiding out in Beaufort, yet again, trying to start my life over."

Silence once again filled the air. Clearly, pain had struck both Callie and Arizona in different, yet similar ways. Callie slowly pulled Arizona's chin up so that she could look into soulful blue eyes that were sparkling with tears. Callie brushed her thumb against a tearstained, reddened cheek and let her hand linger against it.

"So when you ask if I think life has a plan, I'm sure it does. I'm not sure what it is, but what I am sure of is that it doesn't match what is in our heads. It doesn't match what we read in books or see in movies. But what I do know, is that the plan can change in the drop of a hat. We can start over and build from what we know from the past, or let the past consume us. One thing I do know for sure is that you can't hide forever." Arizona reached up and covered Callie's hand with her own.

There was nothing else that needed to be said. The hurt was evident and the sorrow they felt for one another was written all over their faces. Arizona leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Callie's forehead and wrapped her into a tight hug. Callie was the first to pull away and immediately brushed the patch of hair away from Arizona's scar and kissed it gently before resting her forehead against the blonde's.

Arizona slowly broke away from Callie's grasp and stood up, pulling Callie up with her. It was like she was having déjà vu as she led Callie back to what she thought would be Callie's bedroom. "This time, I get to tuck you into bed" she laughed as she instructed Callie to climb under the covers.

"Can you…" Callie stopped before finishing her sentence.

"Can I what?" Arizona asked, watching anxiety wash over Callie's face.

"Nothing, never mind."

"Callie?"

"Will you stay?" Callie didn't want to be alone tonight. This was the first time in over a year she retold the story that sent her into a downward spiral. She was hurting, yet somehow, Arizona made everything okay.

Arizona didn't respond. Instead, she made her way over to Callie's bedroom door, paused slightly before shutting it and turned off the light before climbing into bed behind the brunette.

 **Thanks for your reviews! I felt like people were interested in the reveal of their past so I decided to break it away from their date on Saturday as to not put a damper on a good evening ;) Callie and Arizona have been through enough turmoil in the show and I want this story to mainly be about fun, excitement, and falling in love, but a little drama and backstory is certainly needed (after all, it is a drama) – I promise the date will be up soon!**

 **As always, your reviews are very much appreciated! Also, I have a pretty good idea as to where I want this story to go, but if you have any ideas for other date nights in the Carolina fall, let me know and I will try to incorporate it into the story!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow! I am overwhelmed by your reviews and feedback! I never thought so many people would enjoy this story. I am in love with writing it and I am so grateful that you are interested in it too! This chapter is date night part 1… let me know what you think!**

The early morning sun shone through the crack in the blinds covering the window next to Callie's bed. Arizona rolled over to where Callie had been laying but she was greeted by cool sheets. She felt like she would have noticed Callie get out of bed since she was wrapped around the brunette all night but apparently Callie was stealthy. The sound of dishes clattering together from outside the bedroom led Arizona to believe that Callie was probably in the kitchen. Making her way down the hall, she was met with a familiar smell of bacon and what appeared to be some sort of pastry cooking in the oven. She stopped in the doorway of the kitchen and watched as Callie danced around listening to headphones connected to her ipod and flipping pancakes in the skillet, her heart immediately filling with joy. Last night had been emotional, not just for her, but for Callie as well. It was nice to wake up to see Callie's bright spirit had returned.

It wasn't long after Arizona appeared in the doorway that Callie turned around to spot Arizona. "Jeez! You are going to give me a heart attack!" Callie laughed as she set the pancakes on a plate.

"I didn't want to interrupt those killer dance moves" she winked and walked over to sit at the breakfast bar.

Callie's face immediately reddened at the realization that Arizona had been watching her dancing around for God knows how long. "I made breakfast. Well, lots of breakfasts. Eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, and in case you didn't like any of those, I made cinnamon rolls and fresh fruit, and there is toast…"

"It all sounds perfect" Arizona smiled as she stopped Callie's rambling. She found it charming how nervous the brunette was this morning, but she could definitely tell Callie seemed happy.

Callie and Arizona sat down to enjoy a nice breakfast of basically everything in Callie's fridge.

"I was lonely this morning when I woke up and you weren't next to me" Arizona said as she took a bite of her toast.

"You looked so peaceful, I didn't have the heart to wake you."

"Thank you for that. I was exhausted. I barely slept all week. Last night was the best I have slept in a long time."

"Me too" Callie smiled and reached across the table to squeeze the blonde's hand.

"So are we still on for tomorrow?" Arizona asked.

All of a sudden Callie felt nervous. "I um, I still want to, that is if you do?" She couldn't read Arizona. _Did their conversation last night scare her away?_ "Or I mean we could cancel, if you want to do that too" Callie said as she pulled her hand back from Arizona's grasp.

"There is nothing that I would like more than to spend the day with you, Calliope" she smiled reaching back across the table to grab the brunette's hand once again.

Callie let go of a breath she didn't realize she was holding and smiled a megawatt smile towards Arizona, butterflies once again attacking her stomach.

"It's a date!" Arizona smiled back.

The pair finished breakfast and Arizona helped clean up. "Well if I am going to spend the day with you tomorrow I better get home and finish some paperwork and take the dog to Grandma Bernie's."

Callie drove Arizona home even though it was a short walk. Pulling into her driveway, she hurried around and opened the car door for Arizona.

"Wow, chivalry isn't dead" she giggled as she was helped out of the car by strong, toned arms.

"Well you deserve to be treated like a princess" she said in sincerity.

Arizona swallowed. This woman in front of her was like a fairytale, a dream come true. There was nothing but honestly and love, which sent her heart into overdrive. She leaned in and kissed plump red lips. The kiss started out slow, but Callie quickly pinned Arizona against the car and deepened the kiss, her hands roaming through blonde locks and down her slender back. Callie couldn't contain herself. Arizona tasted so good as she passionately left a trail of kisses along her jawline and found her pulse point just below her ear.

"You are so beautiful, Arizona" she husked in her ear, feeling Arizona shiver under her hold. She nibbled once more on her ear before pulling back to look into lust-filled eyes. She pushed loose strands of blonde hair away from her scar once more before kissing it ever so gently.

Arizona licked her lips and let out a sigh with the loss of contact when Callie pulled back from their embrace. She couldn't move. The kiss was so powerful she completely forgot what she was doing.

"You better get inside before you don't get _any_ paperwork done" Callie laughed.

Arizona let out a small laugh. "After that, I'm not sure if I can concentrate."

Callie watched as Arizona walked to her front door. Just before stepping inside, she turned and yelled down to Callie. "Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, Calliope."

Saturday morning finally arrived and Callie was up bright and early to put her finishing touches on her date. She packed a cooler full of cheeses, meats, fruit, crackers, and bread and one of her favorite bottles of wine. She made sure to bring an extra change of clothes for Arizona, just in case she forgot, and an extra large blanket. She began pacing around her living room trying to make sure she didn't forget anything. Arizona wouldn't be done with her consult for at least another hour and all Callie could do was wait. After what seemed like forever, she finally heard her phone ring.

"Hey!" Callie said a little more excited than she attended to come out of her mouth.

"Hey yourself. I will be ready in a half hour. I just have to go home, shower and change."

"Sounds great. I will pick you up. Don't forget your bathing suit and a change of clothes."

"Are you going to tell me where we are going?" she asked.

"Now that would take all of the fun out of it! Don't worry, its nothing too crazy" she laughed. "It is Grandma Bernie approved."

"Grandma Bernie? You told her but you didn't tell me" she pouted.

"Well I needed her help with something."

"Calliope Torres, what are you up to?"

"See you in 30 minutes dear" she playfully said before hanging up on the blonde.

The car ride to their destination took about an hour. Callie had blindfolded Arizona to help keep their date a surprise because she was sure to know where they were going once they started heading north.

Pulling up besides an old boat dock, Callie shut off the car and helped Arizona out once again. "Okay so please don't be mad at me, but I got the idea from Grandma Bernie and I feel like you can't be mad at Grandma Bernie" Callie laughed nervously. She removed Arizona's blindfold and watched her face when she realized where they were.

Arizona froze. It was like time stood still. She hadn't been to this location since she was 9 years old. Everything was exactly how she remembered it. An old tire swing was still in the old willow tree, the front porch of the cottage still had the oversized rocking chairs, and her father's old boat was still parked next to the dock.

"How" was the only thing Arizona was able to squeak out.

"Well I asked Grandma Bernie if there were any places that would be good to take you and she suggested here. She told me the history behind it and I was a little nervous about how you might react so I did come up with a backup plan, just in case" Callie replied. She couldn't tell what Arizona was thinking. Her face remained stoic.

"I used to love it here. It was my favorite place to go as a kid" she whispered. "I haven't been back since…" she trailed off as she walked up towards the water's edge.

Callie knew the story so she didn't have to ask any questions.

 **Flashback**

"Well hello dear. It sure is nice to see you" Grandma Bernie hummed as Callie walked in the door of her store. "What brings you in today?"

"I actually need your help thinking of somewhere special to take Arizona on a date. I don't know the area very well and I am sure Arizona has been to just about every place. I want to do something special that will take her breath away."

Grandma Bernie hesitantly stared at Callie for a few moments. She had been waiting for someone special to come along for her granddaughter and she was ecstatic that Callie might just be the one. Callie was genuine, kind, caring, and seemed to make Arizona's eyes sparkle every time she talked about Callie. Deciding that Callie was the one to take the risk on, she decided to tell her about the history of her cottage.

"We have an old summer cottage about an hour from here. When Arizona's parents were little, we would take them there every weekend in the summer, and when Arizona and Tim were born, we followed the same tradition. When Arizona's parents…when they passed, we stopped going. We haven't been back since the summer before they died." Grandma Bernie grabbed Callie's hand and squeezed tightly. "It was one of Arizona's favorite places in the whole world. I would catch her waking up early in the morning to feed the ducks by the pond or running through the meadow chasing butterflies. The smile on her face was electric and she was so happy being there" she laughed at the fond memories she was obviously replaying in her head. After a few more minutes, she turned her attention once again to look into Callie's eyes. "Callie, I haven't seen that electric smile on Arizona's face in many years…well that is until you came along. I have seen a spark reignited in Arizona that has been suppressed by so many terrible things. She likes you, Callie. I can see that in her eyes. I can see that you like her too, am I right?"

Callie nodded her head. "Grandma Bernie, I've only been here for a short while, but she has quickly become the reason for me to stay. If she likes me even half as much as I like her, I would be the happiest girl in the world" she said with a huge smile on her face.

"Oh I am pretty sure she does, dear. Anyway, I have never been able to return to the cottage, and neither has Arizona. But I am getting up there in age and I need to do something with it. It has just been sitting there, abandoned and empty. I want joy to return, new memories to be formed there. I want to give it to Arizona. If she doesn't want it, she can sell it for a profit if she fixes it up a bit. But if she does want it, I think you are the perfect person to bring back the joy."

Grandma Bernie's eyes were soft. Callie could tell she was holding back so many memories, threating to spill out along with tears, but the woman held her composure. Callie knew that bringing Arizona to the property would be a risk, especially so early in their relationship or whatever this was, but Callie just couldn't say no to Grandma Bernie. The two sat in the store for a little while longer, planning out the date and upon leaving, Callie was actually excited to bring Arizona to the cottage.

 **Present**

Callie walked up behind Arizona and began to rub her arms. "We don't have to stay if you don't want to. We can take the picnic I packed to the park down the road and enjoy the day there if you want."

Arizona turned around in Callie's arms and leaned in for a deep, passionate kiss. Pulling away, Arizona met warm, brown eyes that were full of love. "A picnic, huh?"

Callie brushed a strand of blonde hair out of Arizona's face before lightly kissing the scar on her temple. "Yea, I thought you could show me around the grounds and we could take the old rowboat into the lake and enjoy lunch on the water" she said with a little more confidence after Arizona's somewhat positive reaction to the idea of the picnic.

"Sounds perfect" she smiled.

When Arizona first arrived, she wasn't sure what to think. So many memories came flooding back, her parents, grandparents, Timmy. She was sure if she ever came back to this place she would breakdown and finally snap. But being here with Callie exposed a whole new emotion: starting over. Instead of feeling sadness, she felt love and joyous memories from countless nights she spent with her family. It was almost as if she had been missing this part of her life for a very long time and being here finally made it return.

Callie grabbed a picnic blanket and a basket out of the car and took Arizona's hand in hers. "So do you want to show me around first or do you want to have lunch?"

"How about we set this stuff on the lakeside dock and I show you around a bit" she asked with a smile on her face.

"Sounds great."

Arizona showed Callie just about everything. The house had a giant porch that wrapped completely around the house. Ceiling fans were spaced out perfectly under the porch. Old rocking chairs were lined up side by side as if a group of people had been sitting and looking at something. The house certainly needed a fresh coat of paint and stain for the deck, but it was in great shape. Moving towards the yard, the property had two separate docks, one that led into the river that ultimately connected to the bay and the second was a large lake that was surrounded by large oak trees hanging with Spanish moss and Willow trees.

Walking on the dock, Arizona paused before jumping onto the boat. "This was my fathers" she whispered. "He would take us fishing out into the bay. Whatever we caught we would cook for dinner. Mama was always waiting for us just about where you are standing to see what she had to cook" Arizona laughed.

Callie took Arizona's outstretched hand that was inviting her onto the boat. Once aboard, she watched as Arizona fiddled around by the dashboard.

"Hmmm, keys must be in the house" she laughed. "He used to keep them right here" she shrugged.

The boat was small but mighty. It had a small under cabin with a bed that appeared like it could be tucked away, a small fridge, and a counter that was full of knickknacks and trinkets. Callie watched as Arizona slowly ran her fingers over every item in the cabin, stopping on an old book. "He wrote down everything in this" she smiled as she picked it up. She blew the dust off before opening it. A huge smile stretched the entire distance of her face. "Oh my God, Callie. His entry from when I fell overboard" she laughed. Arizona remembered that day like it was yesterday. She had been arguing with Timmy about who could swim across the river faster and before she knew it, Timmy had pushed her in yelling 'prove it' as she hit the water. Her dad was so mad.

Callie noticed a single tear had escaped Arizona's right eye. She quickly brushed it away with her thumb and pulled Arizona's back into her chest. "Are you okay" she tentatively asked, kissing the side of her cheek.

Feeling the blonde nod her head she suddenly heard a shriek from the blonde which almost gave her a heart attack.

"Oh my God! I have been looking for this" Arizona exclaimed as she untangled herself from Callie's grasp and picked up a silver pendant. "This was my brother's compass! He carried this around everywhere. I used to tease him all the time" she laughed and put it into her pocket. Arizona was surprised about how easy it was to look through old stuff on the boat and on the property in general. Being here with Callie made her feel like she could conquer anything, but she approached everything with slight hesitation in case it all became too much for her. Deciding she had spent enough time reminiscing on the boat, she decided to show Callie the rest of the property. "Come on, let's get to the back yard so I can show you our tree house" she said as she bounced out of the boat, book in hand.

Callie looked around the property as they walked, well actually Arizona ran, over to the tree house. The family owned nearly 20 acres of land and this was just the tip of the iceberg. She could see small buildings in the distance and Callie wondered if they were part of the property as well. Seeing Arizona begin to climb the tree house, Callie's heart swelled with joy. She stopped and watched her shimmy up the ladder with a purpose. Arizona stuck her head out the window "are you coming?" she yelled down.

Callie felt a wide grin automatically stretch across her face as she look up at Arizona. It was then, in that moment, that Callie knew that she was madly in love with Arizona Robbins. Over the last few weeks, she tried very hard to suppress her feelings of love, but she could no longer deny what she was feeling. She was ready to let it consumer her.

Reaching the top of the treehouse she crawled over to where Arizona was sitting Indian style looking out the window.

"Everything the light touches is our kingdom" she giggled.

"Lion King? Really?" Callie laughed and bumped the blonde's should as she copied the way she was sitting.

"Sorry, I just had to" she laughed. "That's what Timmy and I would say as kids. We would come up here and tell stories and play pretend. But in all seriousness, do you see that large building by the clearing?"

Callie nodded.

"That used to be our horse stables. We had six horses, chickens, pigs, you name it, we had it. And over there" she pointed to the lake "well that is the old boathouse. My grandparents used to have large festivals on the property for the town every 4th of July. People would make an entire weekend out of it. There would be lights hanging from all of the trees, tents set up, and the main party area was at the boathouse."

Callie wrapped her arm around Arizona as she felt her lean her head to rest it on her shoulder. Callie began to run her fingers through blonde curls as a way to let her know that she was here for whatever she needed. After a few quite moments, Arizona finally whispered "Thank you Calliope. If you hadn't brought me here, I'm not sure that I would have come here on my own." She lifted her head and placed a light, tender kiss on plump red lips. "We didn't even get to have your picnic yet, but this is the best date I have ever been on. Thank you" she said, kissing Callie one more time. Their moment was interrupted by Arizona's rumbling tummy.

Callie laughed "Well I guess I better feed you or this date might take a turn for the worst."

The pair crawled down the ladder and made their way over to the lakeside boat dock.

 **Hope you enjoyed some history of Arizona's past while Callie tried to make their date special. Date night part 2 will be up shortly! Let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here it is! Part 2 of their date! A little bit of fun and what I'm sure some of you have been waiting for… :) I hope you enjoy! Please review and let me know what you think!**

Callie slowly rowed their boat out into the center of the lake. She pulled out the food from her picnic basket and poured two glasses of wine.

"Cheers" she said handing Arizona her glass.

"Wow this spread looks amazing" Arizona exclaimed as she popped a cube of cheese in her mouth. "There is about as much food here as there was for breakfast yesterday" she giggled remembering how Callie had made her entire fridge for breakfast.

"Hey! I wanted to make sure that you had options" she laughed realizing there was enough food to feed a small army. She was so nervous about not having enough that she might have bought too much, but she didn't care.

"This is perfect, Calliope."

The pair enjoyed a late lunch on the water and laughed and giggle the entire time about Arizona's memories at the cottage. After a few hours of the sun beating down on their boat, Arizona stood up and slowly removed her white blouse to reveal her bikini top.

Callie swallowed hard as Arizona's half naked form was revealed. Her body was perfect and the barely-there navy blue bikini top left little to the imagination. She watched as Arizona shimmied out of her jean shorts. "Stop drooling" Arizona said as she leaned over the side of the boat to splash water over at Callie before she jumped in.

Callie snapped out of her day dream at the feel of water meeting her face. Arizona reappeared from under the water and slicked her hair back so it was out of her face. "So not fair" Callie said to her. "I can't even splash you back since you are already wet."

"Mmmm I would love to see you wet Calliope" she flirted.

Callie didn't waste any time. She quickly removed her purple shirt and jean shorts to reveal her black bikini and jumped in after Arizona. She swam up beside her and playfully dunked the blonde under the water. The two splashed each other and wrestled next to the boat until they were too tired to continue to tread water. Hanging onto the side of the boat, Callie felt Arizona wrap her legs around her waist to help hold herself up.

Trying to catch her breath, Arizona couldn't stop laughing. She was having so much fun with Callie. It was like they have known each other for years instead of just a few short weeks. She couldn't remember the last time she was this happy.

Arizona felt Callie pull her in a little closer so that they were pressed firmly against each other. Finally ending her laughing spell, her eyes met Callie's. They were a deep shade of brown, equally matching her blues. Their lips crashed together. Arizona ran her tongue over Callie's bottom lip, begging for entrance, which was immediately granted. She felt Callie's hand that was not attached to the boat fist her hair on the back of her head, pulling their lips closer together, maximizing the contact. She slowly trailed her hands down Callie's sides, stopping slightly before skimming across the brunette's bikini top and cupping her breasts in her hands.

"Oh, God, Arizona" Callie growled in her mouth before accidentally letting go of the boat and bringing both of them under the water.

Coming up for air, both women coughed up the water that unexpectedly filled their lungs.

Panting Callie reached over and pulled Arizona close to her once again. "I'm so sorry. I got carried away and let go" she laughed causing both of them to go into a laughing spell.

Wiping brunette strands out of Callie's face, Arizona leaned in for another kiss. "I want to continue doing that, but this might not be the best spot. You might drown me" she snickered.

"Well I didn't think this through, but uh…how are we supposed to get back in the boat" she looked up to realize there isn't a ladder.

"Oh Calliope, let me show you" she said as she straddled the back of the boat, tucked her leg up and over and swiftly made her way back in. "Come on, I'll help you."

 _So hot_ Callie thought as she watched Arizona wiggle up and over the stern of the boat.

After a small struggle, Callie finally made it back in the boat. It was starting to get late and the sun was just about to set over the opposite side of the lake so Callie rowed them back over to the dock. Callie grabbed one of the towels she had purposefully left on the dock incase their boat tipped and wrapped it around a chattering Arizona before doing the same to herself.

Callie grabbed Arizona's hand as they walked over towards the car.

"So I have one more surprise for you, that is if you are up for it?" she hesitantly asked Arizona. Arizona simply smiled and nodded.

Callie grabbed a set of keys from the glove compartment and their change of clothes and led Arizona's up to the house. She slowly entered the key into the lock and opened the door. Arizona remained standing outside the door. They didn't go into the house earlier on their tour. Arizona had no idea how to get in and she wasn't sure if she wanted to or not. Seeing Callie open the door and flick on the switch to hundreds of Christmas lights that were hanging everywhere, she was amazed.

"Calliope" she whispered under her breath.

"There still isn't electricity that runs to the house, but I did manage to find battery operated lights and I figured we could make a fire, cook hot dogs and s'mores, and watch the sunset from the rocking chairs over on the side porch."

Callie disappeared inside the house. She thought Arizona was right behind her so she didn't bother to look back. She had stopped by the house yesterday to set up the living room into a comfortable sitting space, cleaning the dust and cobwebs off of the furniture, and setting up the fireplace so that all she had to do was light it. She had a large blanket in the middle of the floor with a coffee table in the middle that she figured they could eat on. Callie quickly lit a fire, all the while talking to Arizona until she didn't hear the blonde answer a question she had asked.

"Arizona?" she asked hesitantly. Walking back to the doorway, she saw Arizona was still standing on the porch. "Arizona what's wrong? Is this too much? Too soon? God, I'm sorry, I didn't think" Callie rambled almost missing Arizona's next words.

Arizona had tears in her eyes. She had never been treated like this before. She was always the one to be thoughtful and plan everything. She was always the one pouring her heart out just to get shit on in return. Taking a deep breath, she finally met Callie's eyes. "I love you" she said as she searched Callie's face for panic or fear, but only to find softness and love in return.

Callie wasn't sure if she heard her right. They barely knew each other and yet, all she wanted to do was tell Arizona she loved her. But she didn't want to scare the blonde off so she kept her feelings to herself. She finally realized what 'love at first sight' meant. "You do?" she croaked, barely audible.

"I do."

Callie slowly walked back outside to Arizona and stopped right in front of her before placing a slow tender kiss on waiting pink lips. Just before their lips met, she whispered "I love you too" into Arizona's mouth. Callie immediately scooped Arizona up and she took the hint and wrapped her legs around Callie. Taking a few steps back, Callie brought them both into the house, shutting the door behind them, pinning Arizona against it. Her hands dug into Arizona's perfectly toned thighs to keep her from falling.

Arizona slowly pulled Callie's wet hair out of her messy bun to free her beautiful brown locks. Callie immediately tilted her head back as Arizona tugged on her hair exposing more of Callie's neck. Arizona dragged her tongue slowly up the side of her neck, sucking on Callie's pulse point below her ear, and moving up to place soft nibbles just on the outside of her ear. "Make love to me, Calliope" she husked.

Callie growled at the feeling of Arizona's warm breath in her ear. Callie pulled Arizona away from the door and headed towards the living room, Arizona still wrapped tightly around her. They didn't make it very far before Callie pinned Arizona to the wall in the hallway, attacking her neck. Holding Arizona with one arm and propping her up against her leg, Callie's free arm cupped Arizona's flush cheek before slowly trailing her open palm down the center of Arizona's chest, making sure to lightly brush up against her breasts, ultimately landing between the crease of her thigh and her hip. She let her fingers slide just barely underneath the cuff of her jean shorts and against her thigh before once again, pulling Arizona away from the wall and into the living room.

Callie finally set Arizona down on her own two feet. Both were panting from lack of oxygen. "You are so beautiful" she whispered. Callie looked into deep blue eyes for permission before her fingers latched onto the damp white shirt that was covering her bathing suit. Keep her eyes locked with Arizona's now deep blue eyes, she slowly pulled Arizona's shirt up over her head. She once again ran her open palm down the middle of the blonde's chest, rubbing the pad of her thumb across the smooth skin of her hip. She dipped her hand into the back of Arizona's jean shorts and lightly squeezed her toned cheek as she leaned into Arizona's body, dipping her back slightly, to once again attack her neck. Reluctantly removing her hand from Arizona's shorts, she trailed her fingertips lightly along her spine and back up to the strings of her bikini top, pulling them to release plump breasts.

The pleasure just from Callie's gentle touch could make Arizona come without even going any further. Her touch was so steady, so certain and it made Arizona's heart race. This was more than just sex, it was sex on an entire new level that Arizona had never experienced before, and they hadn't even taken off all of their clothes yet. Arizona slowly pulled back from Callie and slipped her bikini top over her head to fully reveal her breast. Seeing Callie's eyes deepen to an even darker shade than they already were drew a large smile across the blonde's face. She slowly pressed up against Callie's clothed form and sucked gently on her bottom lip, nibbling just slightly before raising Callie's shirt over her head. She ran her fingers over the material of her bathing suit, feeling Callie's hardened nipples protruding underneath. Seductively looking up at Callie, she bit down slightly on the left as she reached around the brunette's back to undo her bikini tie. Making quick work of the top, Arizona pressed her hardened nipples against Callie's while capturing her lips once again.

Callie once again dropped her hand to the waistband of Arizona's jean shorts, toying with the button for a few moments before fully unbuttoning her pants. She slipped her thumb under the material of her bikini bottoms and pulled the material covering her left hip down, exposing the blonde's bare hip. Callie dropped to her knees and lightly grazed her teeth along the skin covering her hip bone, her hand, once again slipping underneath her bikini bottoms to strongly cup Arizona's ass. She felt Arizona's hands twirl around in her wet hair, pulling just slightly, signaling she needed more. Callie ran her hand from Arizona's ankle all the way up smooth, toned legs before reaching the opposite side of Arizona's jean shorts before pulling both the shorts and the bikini bottom down in one motion, revealing Arizona's entire naked form. Her slit was glistening with want, her breasts were swollen with arousal, and her eyes were full of desire. Remaining on her knees, Callie looked up at Arizona. "Breathtakingly stunning, Arizona" she growled before she placed soft wet kisses directly on her hip bone, careful to not get too close to her throbbing center.

Feeling Callie's mouth start to explore her body, Arizona immediately dropped to her knees to be back to eye level with Callie, immediately capturing her mouth, begging for entrance, which she was immediately granted. She slowly trailed kisses down the brunette's pump breast, capturing an erect nipple in between her teeth. She continued sucking and biting gently around her nipple, mirroring the same on the other before recapturing the brunette's plump lips. Her hands quickly unbuttoned Callie's shorts, pulling her bikini bottoms down with them until they were around her knees. Callie giggled as she tried to lift herself off the blanket to fully remove her shorts but she ended up toppling over as Arizona pulled them off her legs.

Callie was now lying on her back looking up at Arizona. "I find you miraculous, Calliope" she husked as she crawled up the brunette's body, peppering light kisses from the sensitive skin at the top of her slit, slowly across her abdomen, stopping to suck on both erect nipples, before leaning in to capture Callie's lips. She ran her hand down Callie's body and dipped one finger between her slick folders. She began circling her clit, slowly at first before quickening her pace and adding a second finger.

"Mmmm Arizona" Callie panted. She felt Arizona straddle her right thigh and begin to rub her wet center against her smooth leg. As turned on as Callie was, she immediately stopped Arizona's hips and in one swift motion, flipped Arizona over so that she was now hovering over her. "I don't want you to come like that" she whispered into Arizona's ear as she ran her hand the length of Arizona's body and slipped two fingers between her drenched folds. "I want to take my time with you and make you come."

"Oh, Calliope" she panted while arching her back at the new contact she was experiencing.

Callie slowly ran her fingers against both sides of Arizona's clit. Seeing her response, she picked up her pace and alternated between long strokes and small circles. Feeling Arizona's arousal grow even stronger, she quickly nibbled Arizona's ear and whispered "I need to taste you" before moving down to settle between Arizona's thighs.

Arizona felt like she could come just by hearing Callie's voice. The minute Callie began to stroke her swollen member, Arizona's toes curled and she felt her center pool with arousal. It was purse bliss. It wasn't until she felt Callie's warm breath against her core that she let out a deep moan.

Callie began placing soft kisses all around Arizona's glistening center, softly and slowly before finally taking a long swipe the entire length with her tongue. Callie breathing hitched as she finally tasted the blonde. She tasted so sweet, Callie couldn't get enough. "You taste so good." She wanted to do nothing more than to devour her, but she wanted their first time to be pure pleasure for Arizona instead of feeding her own hungry frenzy. She regained her composure and began to swirl her tongue around Arizona's swollen nub, dipping her tongue ever so often into Arizona's welcoming entrance. She felt Arizona's hips thrust towards her face and hands grasp the back of her head to keep her in place.

"Oh God, Calliope, please" Arizona begged as she felt Callie's slow movements against her core.

Callie smiled listening to Arizona's words. Giving the blonde what she so desperately needed, she smiled before thrusting two fingers inside at the same time she gently nibbled on her sensitive clit. Feeling Arizona's body shake underneath her, she knew she was close. She continued sucking and licking through her wet folds as she curled her fingers inside one last time as she felt her release. Callie slowed her motions, bringing Arizona back down, lapping up her juices as they quickly spilled from her hot core. As Arizona's body stilled, Callie slowly pulled out of her core and placed soft kisses up the length of her body and nuzzled into the blonde's neck.

Arizona steadied her breathing and began to come back to reality. She was overwhelmed by the feel of Callie against her and her entire body continued to tingle even after her hand moved back up her body. "I, oh wow, Callie" she said between breaths.

"Shhhh just relax baby, I got you" she responded as she slowly circled her nipple with the pad of her finger to continue pleasuring her lover.

Arizona steadied herself in Callie's arms. She had never experienced an orgasm like this before and she wasn't so sure that she could move. After what seemed like hours, Arizona finally realized that Callie never had her release. She wanted Callie to feel like she had just made her feel. She quickly turned Callie over so now she was the one back on top. She smiled down at the brunette. "Hi" she said as her twinkling eyes looked into soft brown ones that began filling into a deeper shade. Before Callie had a chance to answer, Arizona capture her lips, tasting herself in Callie's mouth. The kiss started to turn into a hungry, frenzied kiss, but Arizona quickly pulled back and buried herself in Callie's neck after reminding herself that she needed to take her time because she wanted Callie to feel just as good as she made her feel.

Callie felt Arizona's teeth glide up her neck and her lips suck hard against her pulse point, which was quickly followed up with a soft kiss. She knew that would leave a mark and that excited her even more.

Arizona moved her hands from the back of Callie's head over to her sensitive nipple, pulling, twisting, and rubbing before capturing it with her mouth. She heard Callie moan with pleasure so she repeated the same motion with the other nipple. Before moving down, Arizona bit down softly on Callie's left breast, leaving an outline of teeth around the side.

"Oh, Arizona" Callie yelped in pleasure.

Descending to Callie's folds, she decided to hover her mouth just above her glistening slit. She could smell Callie's arousal and it sent her senses into overdrive. She felt her own clit throb with pleasure as she slowly dipped her tongue inside her folds and took her time running it along the entire length. Hearing Callie moan she started picking up the pace. She quickly entered two fingers inside Callie and made her way back up Callie's body as she pumped her fingers in a constant rhythm.

"Open your eyes, Calliope. I want to see you" she husked as she pecked swollen lips. Her eyes meeting the deepest brown she had ever seen, she watched pleasure wash over Callie as she felt her center pull her fingers in deeper as she came.

Arizona left her fingers inside while she placed soft kisses across Callie's collarbone, letting her come down from her explosive orgasm. Feeling Callie's breath even out, she regretfully pulled out of Callie.

"I meant it Calliope. I love you. I don't say those words lightly but there is something about you that makes me want to throw caution out the window and jump in with both feet."

"I'm all in Arizona, both feet. I am crazy about you and I intend to show you how much I love you every day."

Arizona and Callie spent the rest of the evening making love by the fireplace before they fell asleep, spending the night together in each other's arms.

 **A/N: Next chapter… is Callie going to tell Arizona about Grandma Bernie's plan for the house? How will Arizona react? A lot has happened here since she was a kid – so many memories but so much has happened since.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! I am glad you are enjoying the story so far! I did have one question asking if Arizona found out about Grandma Bernie giving the property to her in the last chapter. Callie and Grandma Bernie had the discussion but Arizona didn't find out about Grandma Bernie wanting to actually give the property to her. Callie brought her to the property for their date which Callie told Arizona that Grandma Bernie did help her come up with the plan.**

 **Hope you enjoy the next chapter!**

Callie quickly opened her eyes. She had been peacefully sleeping, wrapped around Arizona, or so she thought, until she heard a rattling noise coming from the kitchen. Cool air was piercing her body making her shiver. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she looked over to find Arizona's spot next to her was empty. The fire was barely flickering with just a small flame that provided very little light. Suddenly, she heard the noise again followed by a "damn it" that was barely audible coming from the kitchen. Callie smiled, figuring Arizona was probably the one making all the noise. She wrapped her naked body in a blanket and walked over towards where the noise was coming from. Peering through the doorway, she watched as Arizona tried to be quite as she searched through the drawers in search for something. She was failing miserably at both.

"Hi" Callie said with a smug look on her face.

"Calliope! You scared the shit out of me! Don't do that!" Arizona said as she dropped a few utensils on the floor when she brought her hand to her chest.

"Well if you weren't making so much noise I wouldn't wake up out of a sound sleep to think someone was breaking in" she laughed. "What are you doing? It's 4:45 in the morning."

Arizona sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I couldn't sleep. I was trying to find our old tea kettle and tea bags. And someone didn't feed me last night so I was hungry" she seductively smiled as she walked over to where Callie was standing and wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist.

"Mmmm I sure ate well" Callie flirted licking her lips as she stared into deep blue eyes. She couldn't get enough of Arizona's body.

"I'm talking about real food, Calliope and I am going to need some of that to build up my strength for what I want to do to you" she smirked as she ran her tongue along Callie's jawline and whispering into her ear "and what I want to do with you is going to take a lot of energy."

Callie shivered at the feel of Arizona's hot breath against her skin. This woman was going to be the death of her and she couldn't get enough. Pulling back slightly, Callie couldn't help but stare at Arizona. She was adorable, especially when she looked like this. She was wrapped similarly to Callie in a warm blanket to hide her naked form and her hair was thrown up in a messy bun. She was glowing. Callie couldn't get enough of her.

"Lucky for you I might have brought a few supplies" Callie laughed as she kissed Arizona's forehead before making her way into the bag of goodies she brought, pulling out a tea kettle and some fresh tea. She also pulled out some hot dogs from the cooler. "We can make these if you are really hungry?"

"Callie, it's almost 5 in the morning! Hot dogs aren't really a breakfast food" she pouted.

Callie walked back over to where Arizona was standing and started pouring water bottles into the tea kettle. "Think of it more as a late night snack" she giggled before pushing a strand of hair out of Arizona's face as she kissed her forehead. "Now let me plug in the tea kettle into where the battery for the Christmas lights are and restart the fire while you go and relax back in the living room." Callie placed one more kiss on the top of Arizona's head before disappearing out into the hall.

Arizona walked back into the living room and began to restart the fire. She was a girl scout back in the day after all and she knew how to get a good fire going. "There" she said out loud to herself smiling as she leaned against the couch.

Callie appeared back in the living room a few moments later with a few sticks and the pack of hot dogs. She was also carrying another bag full of things to make s'mores. "I was planning on building a fire outside to cook this stuff but this will certainly do" she said as she took her seat next to Arizona. "What will it be? Hot dogs or s'mores?" she laughed.

"Oh definitely s'mores first. And then maybe s'more of you?" she growled as she rose to her knees and straddled Callie's lap, taking her plump lips between her teeth.

"Mmmm I'd like that" Callie husked as she pulled Arizona in for a deep kiss. Pulling away so that she could look in Arizona's eyes, she smiled. "Now, if you keep this up, you definitely won't be fed because I'm not going to be able to control myself too much longer."

Arizona laughed as she fell backwards off Callie's lap to allow her to start making s'mores and hot dogs. The pair enjoyed their late night snack by the fire, sneaking kisses every so often.

To make sure the fire lasted the rest of the night, Callie crawled over to it and added more wood. She felt Arizona come up behind her and pull her back into her chest, a trail of warm, wet kisses peppering the back of her neck. She shivered at the feel of Arizona's warm breath against her. She slowly turned around in the blonde's grasp, both kneeling eye level.

Arizona tugged on the blanket that was still wrapped around Callie's body, causing it to fall around her knees, Callie doing the same to hers. Unlike the first few times they had sex, they were much more forward with what they wanted and their desire was out of control. She quickly dipped her fingers between Callie's folds and plunged two fingers inside.

"God Arizona, you feel so good" Callie panted. She quickly mirrored Arizona's position and was now thrusting deep inside Arizona's hot, wet center.

Arizona felt her orgasm building quickly. She bit down on Callie's shoulder causing the brunette to wince slightly but before Arizona could say anything Callie quickly pushed the blonde on her back and straddled her center.

Arizona reached up and took Callie's swollen breast in her hands, squeezing vigorously while feeling Callie's clit rubbed against her own, causing pleasure that she didn't even know was possible.

"Right there Callie, oh God, don't stop" she gasped, arching her hips to gain even more friction.

Callie felt Arizona's body begin to shake underneath her as she felt her own body begin to match rhythm for rhythm. "oooooooh…that's it, oh I…" Callie couldn't form sentences. The friction between her own body and Arizona's was almost too much to handle.

Their bodies continued writhing against one another, their moans becoming more and more vocal as they finally reached their peak. Sweat glistening off of each other's bodies. Callie collapsed half on top of Arizona, her dripping wet center resting on Arizona's toned thigh. She felt Arizona reach down and begin to rub her clit, immediately building a second orgasm.

"Oh, Arizona…I…please, don't stop. That feels…"

"Tell me what you feel, Arizona seductively growled in her ear, nibbling slightly on the edge."

"I feel your fingers gliding through my wet folds sending a warm sensation all the way to my toes."

"Mmmmm…I love to touch you. I can't get enough of how you feel" Arizona whispered in her ear as she brought her fingers to her mouth, licking Callie's juices, before dropping her fingers back to continue pleasuring Callie. "And I love how you taste" she growled.

"Ohhhhhh" Callie moaned at Arizona's words. "God this is hot" she husked.

"Mmmmm what else do you feel" she asked.

Reaching down, Callie began to stroke Arizona's swollen clit. "I feel how wet you are" she grinned as she filled Arizona's center with her fingers. "And I feel how much you want me, how hot you are" she whispered seductively.

A few more thrust was all it took to bring each other over the edge for a second time. Callie and Arizona simply laid tangled in each other's arms as they caught their breath. Their sticky bodies melted together as one. After coming down from what both could describe as one of the hottest experiences of their lives, Arizona rolled over to look down at Callie.

"I want to show you something" Arizona said, her dimples at full attention, as she stood up, wrapped her blanket around herself and then around Callie and led them outside onto the deck. Arizona leaned against the railing looking out over the lake. "The sun is going to be coming up any minute now. I used to sneak out in the mornings when I was little to watch the sunrise before anyone else was up."

Callie took a seat in the oversized rocking chair and led Arizona to sit on her lap. She leaned her head against the brunette's. They sat in silence for a long time, until the sun was fully across the horizon. The colors of the sky were magnificent. Purples, reds, oranges, and yellows all painted across the sky, reflecting off the lake. "It's beautiful. But not as beautiful as you" she whispered in Arizona's ear.

Arizona smiled. She couldn't believe this was happening. She never thought that she would let herself fall in love, but with Callie, should couldn't do anything but. She turned to look into her eyes.

"You aren't going to leave, are you?" she asked hesitantly.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Callie asked, confusion spread across her face.

"Well, I mean, you just appeared one day in Beaufort. You were supposedly just passing through." Arizona immediately dropped her gaze and began twirling a lose string from the blanket around her finger. She didn't want to pressure Callie into staying but she also didn't want to have her heart broken into a million pieces – although she knew it was already too late for that.

Callie quickly realized where this conversation was heading and she immediately brought her finger under Arizona's chin to pull her face back up to capture her plump pink lips. Pulling back she smiled, "I'm not going anywhere, Arizona."

"Well then, what are we?" she asked.

"What do you mean, what are we?"

"Are we just having fun? Are we serious? Am I…am I, your girlfriend?" Arizona chewed the inside of her lip as she waited for Callie to respond.

Callie brushed blonde hair away from Arizona's face and kissed the scar on her temple. "I would like you to be my girlfriend."

Arizona let out a breath she was holding. "Good. Because I was serious Callie. I have never fallen so hard for anyone before. I don't normally let my emotions get the best of me, but with you, I can't hold back. I was shocked when I blurted out that I loved you last night, but I couldn't keep it in any longer. You make me want to tell you everything and you make me feel so safe and so loved."

Callie quickly brushed a tear that had escaped Arizona's eye before softly kissing her lips once again. Pulling back, but staying just a few inches away from Arizona's face, she wrapped her arms around the back of Arizona's neck, her fingers playing with strands of fallen hair from her messy bun. "I've been looking for you my whole life. We are moving so fast, but it feels so right. I want you, Arizona. Everything about you. I have never been so sure of anything in my entire life."

Arizona and Callie joined lips once again and sunk into a passionate kiss. This kiss was different than any of the kisses they shared before. This one was full of commitment, trust, and love.

Neither Callie nor Arizona wanted their weekend at the cottage to end, but life back in Beaufort does have to go on. After packing up their car and stopping at a local diner for breakfast, they made the hour long drive back to their small town. Callie dropped Arizona off at her house and reluctantly made her way back to her own home. She was starting to unpack her things when she got a text message from Arizona.

 **I had a great time, Calliope. Thank you so much – A**

 **I loved every minute of it. Can't wait to see you again. Are you sure you have to go back to Boston this week :( - C**

 **I'll be back on Thursday afternoon. You could come over and we can have dinner and a movie? – A**

Arizona waited patiently on the other line. She knew that she would be exhausted after a busy week, but spending four days without Callie was killing her. Hearing her phone's notification for a new text, she smiled.

 **There is nothing I would like more :) I will bring over dinner – C**

Just as Arizona read Callie's text message, she had an incoming call from Grandma Bernie.

"Well hello dear. You didn't call me after your date with Callie" Grandma Bernie playfully scolded her.

"I just got back! And hey! I should be the one yelling at you. You set me up!" she laughed.

Arizona and Grandma Bernie always playfully bantered back and forth.

"Oh so are you saying it was a bad thing?" she laughed.

"I didn't say that" Arizona laughed. "It was amazing. Thank you for telling her about the cottage. I don't think I would have been able to go back there without her and she made everything so…perfect." Arizona was smiling ear to ear. She was still expecting to wake up from a blissful dream, but the scent of Callie on her sweatshirt make everything so real.

"Now now now you listen here. You better take good care of that one. Don't scare her away."

"Well just so you know, we happen to be officially dating, Grandma. So I managed to spend an entire day with her without scaring her away, and I was able to officially make her my girlfriend" she smiled.

"Well I'll be. My Arizona Robbins is actually in a relationship."

"I am hurt that you are so surprised!" she laughed.

"Do you blame me?"

"Okay fine, you win. So what is this call really about Grandma?"

"Well I wanted to know if you and that girlfriend of yours would like to join me for dinner tonight."

"Grandma, that's very nice of you but I'm sure Callie is busy or wants some time alone. I mean we did just spend like 36 hours together."

"Well lucky for you, Callie is available."

"What? How do you know?"

"I just called her."

Arizona huffed. She hated when her Grandma meddled in her love life. She was in a good place with Callie and she really wanted this to work and she did not need Grandma Bernie stepping in.

"Grandma! No! Stop calling her, stop harassing her!"

"She is expecting you to pick her up at 6:30 for dinner at my house at 7:00. Don't be late" and with that, Arizona heard the phone go silent.

"She hung up on me! Ugh!"

Arizona quickly dialed Callie's phone number.

"Hey beautiful, miss me already?" Callie giggled in the phone.

"You don't have to come" Arizona said on the phone. "I mean I obviously want you to come, but I know we saw each other for a long time yesterday and part of today, and it was amazing, but I'm sure you are exhausted and don't want to sit around with my Grandma all night."

"Woah woah woah…slow down. What are you talking about?" Callie asked. Arizona was cute when she rambled but she couldn't make out what she was saying over the phone.

"Dinner, tonight, with Grandma Bernie, ring a bell?" she asked.

"Ummm it doesn't ring any bells, but I would be happy to come" Callie laughed.

"WHAT? She didn't call you? Ughhhh she said she called you!"

"No, not that I'm aware of."

"She does this to me all the time. She only tells half the story. She knew I would call you and try to tell you that you didn't have to come, knowing that then you would say yes."

"Babe…you need to slow down. I have no idea what you are saying."

Arizona took a deep breath. "What I am saying is, my Grandma called and invited me to dinner tonight at her house. She told me she had called you and that you would be expecting me to pick you up at 6:30. But I guess she didn't tell you, which makes me look like an idiot."

"Hey, you don't look like an idiot. You are cute when you ramble, but you are definitely not an idiot." Callie laughed. "I would love to come to dinner with you tonight…besides, it will give me another opportunity to kiss you before leaving for Boston" she flirted through the phone.

"Are you sure, Callie? I don't want to seem like one of those clingy girlfriends."

"Arizona, I am positive. I can't get enough of you, remember?" she laughed.

"I just don't want you to get tired of me."

"Not sure if that's possible."

"Okay, well I am excited to see you. Don't mistake my crazy rambles as not being excited. I am over the moon excited" she stressed.

"I'm really looking forward to it. So 6:30?"

"Yes, be ready! Nothing fancy, we are just going to her house."

"Sounds great."

"Well I better get unpacked and do some stuff around the house. I will see you tonight!"

"Arizona?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Arizona smiled. "I love you too."

The next few hours, Arizona cleaned her house, took Charlie for a walk, and packed for Boston. She couldn't believe she had to travel back to back weeks for work, but she was certainly looking forward to spending time next weekend with Callie.

Sliding into her 1971 red Ford pickup truck, she drove down the road to pick up Callie. Pulling into her driveway, she hopped out of the car and knocked on her front door. Seeing the door open, Arizona quickly shoved a bouquet of multicolor flowers towards Callie.

"These are for you, for being the best girlfriend in the whole world" she smiled, her dimples quickly becoming the main feature on her face.

"Say it again" Callie said as she took the flowers from Arizona.

"Say what?"

"Say that I'm your girlfriend" she teased pulling Arizona in for a hard kiss.

Pulling back, her head slightly in a fog from feeling Callie's lips on hers, she giggled. "You, Calliope Torres, are the best girlfriend in the whole world, and you are my girlfriend" she smiled.

"Mmmmm I love when you say that." Turning back inside, she quickly put the flowers in water and took Arizona's hand. "If we stay inside too long, we are going to be very late for dinner" she snickered.

"We don't want that now, do we?" she laughed as she pulled Callie to her truck.

The car ride to Grandma Bernie's was quick. Arizona and Callie made it to the door carrying brownies in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.

"Ladies! Come in, come in. It's so nice to see you both could make it" she said as she threw a snide glace over at Arizona.

"Mmmmhmmm" Callie said. "About that, I must have missed your call. I'm so glad Arizona was able to get a hold of me" she laughed. She certainly wasn't mad at Grandma Bernie but she also wanted to be on Arizona's side.

"Oh my, yes. I forgot to call you. Old age. Sorry about that" she laughed. "Come on over to the living room. Dinner is almost ready. Make yourself at home."

Grandma Bernie disappeared into the kitchen while Arizona and Callie sat down on the couch in the living room. Grandma Bernie's house wasn't like a typical Grandma's house. It was hip, modern, had all of the latest gadgets and updated appliances. Certainly not like Callie's grandma's house. Her house was old and covered in wall paper and had furniture from the 1960's. As the evening went by, the three ladies enjoyed a nice, home cooked meal, shared stories about Arizona's past that undoubtedly made her blush, and talked about Callie's new life in Beaufort. After dinner, the three ladies made their way into the den to enjoy a few more stories over a Brandy night cap.

"Arizona dear. I have something that I would like to ask you." Grandma Bernie said as she put her drink down on the coffee table.

Arizona, realizing the change of mood in her Grandma, looked over at Callie and mirrored Grandma Bernie's gesture by placing her drink on the coffee table as well. Her eyes narrowed. She had been through discussions like this in the past, but never in the presence of any of her friends and certainly not her girlfriend. She wasn't sure exactly what Grandma Bernie wanted to ask, but she knew she wasn't going to be okay with it. "Do we have to do this now?" she asked.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad" she replied.

"I'm assuming I don't have a choice. Okay, go ahead" she huffed and crossed her arms.

"I want to give you the cottage."

"You what?" she responded, her eyes growing wide. "What, why? No! I am not dealing with this right now" she said as she stood up and started pacing. "We just had a wonderful evening and I had a wonderful weekend with my girlfriend, who happens to be sitting here by the way, and I do not want to talk about this" she said sternly. She couldn't believe this was happening. In her heart of hearts, she knew that one day she would have to deal with this, but this was all too soon. She had a hard enough time as it was to even step foot on the property, but being there with Callie made it all possible. Now she couldn't possibly lean on her new girlfriend to get her through fixing the place up and selling it.

"Arizona dear. It would mean the world to me if you could make new memories there. Maybe with your own family one day?" she hinted.

Callie had talked to Grandma Bernie about giving the property to Arizona a few nights ago, but she didn't realize Arizona would react this way. She was so happy being at the cottage last night, or at least she thought she had a good time. Snapping out of her thoughts as Arizona continued to talk to Grandma Bernie.

"How could you put this on me, Grandma? How? I mean, why would you make me go through all of that stuff, and re-live all of the painful memories of my parents, of Tim…" her voice trailed off as tears started running down her cheeks.

Callie was frozen. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know if she should hug Arizona or stay grounded on the couch. Deciding that Arizona needed some support, she quickly got off the couch and pulled Arizona into a strong hug. Arizona fought her for a minute until she finally collapsed in Callie's arms.

"Oh dear. I didn't mean to make you this upset. I'm sorry honey. It's just that, I am getting too old to fix it up and sell it and honestly, I would rather give it to you so that you could make new memories there, dear" she said as she walked up behind Arizona's back rubbing it at the same time she rubbed Callie's.

"No. I am not going to make new memories there. No. I am going to sell it. To the highest bidder" she sternly said. Wiping her eyes with her sleeve, she turned and looked at Callie. "I'm so sorry you had to be here for this. We should go" she whispered turning away from Callie and walked towards the door.

"Arizona, please don't go. Please. Please just, think about it."

"The answer is no. Come on Callie" she said as she walked out the front door leaving Callie standing in the room with Grandma Bernie.

"Please talk to her Callie. I figured she would be upset, but I didn't think she would be this upset. She will come around, though. She just needs some time. She always does."

Callie smiled a small smile at Grandma Bernie. "Thank you for dinner, Grandma Bernie. I will try to talk to her, but she really seems upset" she said.

"I know dear. She just needs time. Please, Callie. Do this for me, for her."

"I'll be with her every step of the way" she winked back.

 **A/N: Callie and Arizona just spent a wonderful evening at the cottage, but does that erase all of the pain in Arizona's heart? Will she be able to overcome her sorrows? Will she keep the property or sell it to get rid of the pain?**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you so much for the great reviews! It makes me happy that so many people are interested in this story! Trying my best for you! Enjoy!**

Hurt, Anger, Fear. Those were the emotions pouring out of Arizona's normally bright blue eyes. When Callie talked to Grandma Bernie earlier in the week about taking Arizona to the cabin for their date, she didn't fully understand the history and how it has impacted Arizona's life. As she made her way towards Arizona's truck, she saw Arizona sitting in the driver's seat, head in her hands, hunched over across the steering wheel. She approached the driver's side door with caution. Slowly opening the door, Arizona jolted up from her position and quickly wiped away the tears that were streaming down her teeth. "Ready to go?" Arizona forced out in a cheerful tone.

"Keys" Callie responded.

"What, no I'm fine" Arizona huffed.

"I know your fine, but good girlfriends drive their girlfriend's car if they are upset. You don't want me to be a bad girlfriend do you?" she laughed trying to lighten the mood.

Arizona managed a small smile before handing the keys over to Callie and sliding over on the cabin's bench seat. Before starting the engine, Callie grabbed Arizona's hand and pulled her body over so that she was flush against her. Callie brushed blonde locks away from the scar on Arizona's temple before lightly kissing it and starting the engine.

The drive to Arizona's was quite. Nothing needed to be said. Callie knew Arizona would talk when she was ready and she was not about to push her into an uncomfortable situation. She wanted to just be there for whatever she needed. The first time Arizona spoke was when they pulled into Arizona's driveway. "Wait, how are you going to get home?" she asked.

"You really think I am going to leave you alone tonight with how upset you are?" she teased. "Besides, I am going to miss having you in my arms for the next few days. I need to get as much of you as I can get" she winked.

Arizona felt a sense of relief wash over her when she found out Callie was going to stay. She hated to admit it, but having Callie nearby seemed to make everything about her past easier. Every other time someone brought up her parents, Tim, or the cottage, she would have to sit alone at home and deal with her emotions by herself. But this time, she felt a different feeling wash over her now that Callie was by her side.

After changing clothes and getting ready for bed, Callie snuggled in behind Arizona and pulled her into a deep embrace. The two laid in silence in the dark for quite some time before Callie heard soft sobs coming from her girlfriend. "Shhh, it's okay. I'm here if you ever want to talk, Arizona. I will never force you, but I do want you to know that I am here for you. Through everything and anything." She felt Arizona relax into her body.

"What would you do" she whispered.

"Arizona, only you can answer that question. But what I can tell you is that I will be here to help you. If you choose to sell it, then we will get the cottage ready to sell. If you choose to keep it, then we will make wonderful memories there, just like we did last night."

Silence once again pierced the night. Arizona's mind was spinning in a thousand different directions. She did have a wonderful time with Callie at the cottage, just last night. It was absolutely perfect. That wasn't the fear. The fear that washed over Arizona was going through old rooms, boxes of memories, finding her dad's old cigar stash. She felt tears begin to collect in her eyes once again.

Moving blonde hair out of the way, Callie kissed the back of Arizona's neck. "Take some time to think about it, Arizona. I'll be right here to talk when you are ready" she said, her voice full of love.

The next few days took forever to pass by. Arizona left for Boston on a 5:00 am flight Monday morning and barely left the hospital once she arrived. Callie was busy working at the restaurant, but it was low season for beach-goers so the restaurant wasn't swarming with people like it had been since Callie first started. Arizona and Callie texted each other and face timed at night when they could but they didn't talk at all about Grandma Bernie's proposal. Callie tried to bring it up once, but Arizona immediately made up an excuse to go check on her patient.

Thursday was finally here and Callie was supposed to meet Arizona at her house for dinner and a movie. She texted and called Arizona several times throughout the day but didn't get a response. Her flight was supposed to land at 3:45 pm and it was now almost 5:30 pm and she still hadn't heard anything. Callie was getting worried that something happened to Arizona in Boston or worse, during her travel home. Callie raced over to Arizona's house, but when she pulled into Arizona's driveway, she noticed that her truck was gone. Arizona never took her truck to the airport, always a cab, so she had to be back from her trip to Boston. Callie feverishly knocked on the door, hoping Arizona would answer but was met with silence. Callie tried to call Arizona a few more times before calling Grandma Bernie.

"Well hello, dear. So nice of you to call" Grandma Bernie said as she answered the phone.

"Is Arizona with you" Callie said in between breaths. She was starting to hyperventilate at the thought of something happening to Arizona.

"Why, no dear. Callie, what's wrong?" Grandma Bernie could hear the worry in her voice and she herself was a little concerned.

"Damnit. Where would she go?" Callie asked.

"Callie, you are scaring me. What's going on?"

"I was supposed to go over Arizona's tonight for dinner and a movie after she got back from Boston. I tried to call her several times today, texted, nothing. I am at her house now and her truck is gone." Callie felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. Quickly wiping them away so that she could stay focused at the task at hand, she once again began to ramble on the phone to Grandma Bernie. "Where would she go?"

"Callie, I don't know. She has never done this before. Are you sure her flight isn't delayed or something? Or she maybe had to stay in Boston?"

"No, she didn't take her truck to the airport and it's not in her driveway."

There was silence on the phone for a few moments. Callie was racking her brain, trying to figure out where Arizona might be when suddenly, the cottage popped into her mind. Arizona had been so upset before leaving for Boston, Callie wondered if Arizona would be at the cottage.

"Grandma, I think I have an idea of where she might be. I will call you once I know something" she said.

"Please Callie. Please find her. Please call me" she said with worry in her voice.

"I will." Callie quickly hung up the phone and started on the one hour drive to the cottage. The entire way, she tried to call Arizona's phone but it always ended with Arizona's perky voicemail message. Pulling onto the property, she saw Arizona's truck parked in the middle of the drive way, driver side door wide open. She was relieved that Arizona was here, but she was nervous as to what she might find. Callie quickly parked the car and started off around the property looking for Arizona.

The first thing Callie noticed was a giant hole in one of the bedroom windows, almost as if a rock was thrown through it. Getting closer to the house, she noticed the front door was wide open and boxes were haphazardly piled on the front porch. She could hear an angry voice coming from the opposite side of the house so she quickly ran around the back. She froze when she saw Arizona. She was attacking a large bush with a pair of hedge clippers. It was clear that Arizona didn't know Callie was standing there because she continued to have her back towards Callie and continued swearing like a sailor. Callie leaned against the house and watched her girlfriend take her anger out on the shrub, a worried smile creeping onto her face. Even in her frazzled state, Callie couldn't get over how adorable her girlfriend looked. She had her hair in braids, loose strands flying everywhere, a simple white t-shirt that was now covered in dirt, and a pair of blue jeans.

"Ow, mother fucker. You fucking thing. I've always hated you" Arizona screamed as she threw the clippers down to the ground before hastily grabbing fistfuls of the shrub and pulling the leaves off in clumps.

"Okay, okay, okay. I think that bush has been through enough" Callie said as she ran up behind Arizona and pulled her back from the bush.

"Let go of me" Arizona yelled as she struggled to break free of Callie's embrace.

"Not until you stop acting like a crazy person" she said as she held her grip tighter around the blonde.

"Callie! Get off! What the hell" she screamed.

"Arizona, stop" she yelled, a little harsher than she wanted to. Softening her voice, but still keeping the seriousness, she tried to sooth Arizona. "Shhh, I've got you baby. It's okay. I'm here."

"No! No, no! It's not okay! It's not okay, Callie" Arizona cried as she felt her knees go weak. She was collapsing in Callie's arms, her entire body weight held up by two strong hands of her girlfriend. She felt Callie pull them both to the ground so that she was now leaning back in Callie's lap.

"Shhh, its okay, Arizona. I am here for you and I am not going anywhere."

Arizona turned around in Callie's lap and cried into her chest for what seemed like hours. Callie had never witnessed someone so broken, yet so strong. She couldn't help but feel like some of this was her fault. If she hadn't brought Arizona here the other night for their date, the topic of the cottage would never have been discussed and Arizona wouldn't be in so much pain right now. All Callie could do moving forward was hold a sobbing Arizona until she was ready to talk.

It was now dark outside and the pair were still sitting in the same spot. As the wind picked up, Callie felt a chill shutter through Arizona's body. Placing her lips against the side of Arizona's head, she whispered in her ear "Let's get you warm." Callie made a slight move to get up but was immediately met with blue eyes.

"Please don't go. Please" Arizona sobbed.

"I'm not going anywhere, Arizona. I promise" she said as she looked into empty blue eyes. "But we do need to get inside and warm up" she replied. Callie pulled both of their bodies into a standing position. She quickly led Arizona inside the house and sat her down in the living room where they made love only a few days ago. She quickly made a fire and went into the other room to call Grandma Bernie.

Arizona listened into their phone call. Her heart sank in her chest at the thought of worrying both her Grandma and her girlfriend. She didn't even think about them since she made the decision to come to the cabin tonight. She felt so guilty.

 ** _Flashback_**

 _The entire plane ride, she repeated Addison's words in her head over and over again. "You can't let the past ruin your future, Arizona."_

 _Arizona and Addison finished up early on Wednesday and decided to go to a local bar. They had spent almost two full weeks together working on the case, but they didn't really have time to catch up._

 _"So why the long face? Last week when you were here, you were happier than I have seen you in years. You had an energy about you that caused even me to be happy" Addison laughed. "But this week, you seem so sad. What's going on?"_

 _"Is it that obvious?" she sighed. "Well, I met a girl" Arizona said._

 _Before Arizona could continue, Addison cut her off. "That should be a good thing, you know?" Addison questioned._

 _"It is, Addie. It honestly might be the best thing that has ever happened to me. She is just, she is perfect. I am really falling for her. She makes me excited, nervous, happy." Arizona trailed off and smiled at the thought of her girlfriend._

 _"So….why so sad then? I don't understand. Does she not feel the same way?"_

 _"Oh, no! She certainly feels the same way. We spent the most amazing weekend together and all I want to do is be around her."_

 _"Why do I feel a 'but' coming on?" Addison asked._

 _"No, there is not 'but' Addison. At least not about Callie. She is perfect."_

 _"Okay, so spill."_

 _"Callie took me on the most amazing date, to the cottage." She paused surveying Addison's reaction. "It was actually perfect, Addie. That's not the issue. The issue is, when we got home Sunday, Grandma Bernie invite us both to dinner. She wants me to have the cottage, Addie" Arizona quietly said as she toyed with her drink._

 _Addison put it all together. She had been friends with Arizona for a very long time and she knew how Arizona felt about the cottage. She was surprised to hear that Callie took her there on their date, but wasn't surprised that Grandma Bernie wanted her to take the cottage._

 _"So…."_

 _Looking up at Addison in disbelief she scoffed "What do you mean so? You know how I feel about that place."_

 _Addison looked at her defeated friend that was sitting across from her. She hated to see her like this. Learning that Callie was the reason behind Arizona's high spirits last week and that they had already been to the cabin together let her know that it was possible for Arizona to get through this with Callie by her side, but she knew she had to convince Arizona first to let Callie in first. "Arizona, you shouldn't let a place that was once filled with so many happy memories be tarnished by the pain you've experienced in your life. You yourself just said to me that you had a great time with Callie at the cottage last weekend."_

 _"Yeah, so?" Arizona couldn't figure out what that had to do with her actually owning the cottage._

 _"So? Arizona, think about it. You had a great time at the cottage, with Callie." Addison paused before continuing. "Listen, I know that you miss your family…especially Timmy, but you can't let the past ruin your future, Arizona."_

 _Arizona sat in silence, staring down at her drink. Addison certainly had a point, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to let her past go. It hurt too much to even think about._

 _"Thanks for talking Addie, I have to go. I have an early flight tomorrow" she said while getting up from her seat._

 _"Arizona, wait" she said grabbing her arm to stop her from walking out._

 _"Addison, I really mean it. Thank you for talking with me. I just can't talk about it anymore. I need to think about some things" she said with a forced smile. "It was great spending time with you. You're a great friend." Arizona pulled Addison in for a quick hug before disappearing into the streets of Boston._

 _When the cab dropped Arizona off at her house after the quick flight home from Boston, she immediately jumped in her truck and took off in the direction of Grandma Bernie's house. After thinking about what Addison said, she was determined to give her a hard 'no' on taking the cottage. Halfway there, she pulled over to the side of the road and did a quick u-turn. About an hour later, Arizona found herself pulling up to the cottage. It was exactly how she left it Sunday. Stepping out of the truck, she didn't even bother closing the door. She didn't expect to be there long. In all honestly, she wasn't sure what made her drive to the cottage. Walking aimlessly towards the front porch, she tripped over a rock and fell flat on her face._

 _"Oh what the fuck. Really? Is this how it's going to be?" she screamed out loud as she picked up the rock and threw it into the second story window._

 _A firestorm in her mind took over and she raced up to the front porch. Running up the stairs, she started grabbing everything and anything that was in her way, chucking each item onto the front porch. Once she was satisfied with getting enough stuff out of the house, she opened the back porch._

 _"Oh these bushes! Really? Look at this place! It's a fucking mess! No one would buy it looking like this. God!" she screamed once again into the wind. She went into the shed and pulled out a pair of hedge clippers and began trimming the bushes around the back porch. The entire time, she felt alive, felt free. It wasn't until she felt Callie wrap her arms around her torso that she snapped out of her thoughts and was brought back to reality._

After hanging up with Grandma Bernie, Callie came back into the living room and sat behind Arizona so that she was once again leaning back in her lap. She slowly ran her hands up and down Arizona's arms to comfort her and let her know that she was here.

"I'm scared" Arizona whispered. It was the first time she said it out loud, but she had been thinking it since Grandma Bernie mentioned the cabin.

Callie stilled her movement and waited to respond, sensing Arizona wanted to continue talking.

"I feel like…I feel as if I take over the cottage and build new memories here that I will erase all of the old ones of my family."

Silence once again filled the air before Callie responded. "Nothing could ever take away the memories you have of your family, Arizona. You asked me the other day what I thought..." Callie felt Arizona shake her head. "I think you keep those memories alive through the cottage."

Arizona hadn't thought about it this way. She was so scared that she was going to make new memories on top of the old ones that she never thought that the cottage could be used to actually strengthen her memories of her family.

Callie felt Arizona relax a bit in her arms. Callie closed her eyes and kissed the back of Arizona's head.

"I don't even know where to start" Arizona sighed. "I have to clean this place up and I just made it even more of a disaster than it already was."

"Well I think you start by going home and getting a good night sleep, and a shower because I'm sorry baby, but you stink of sweat and dirt" Callie laughed, causing Arizona to laugh too. "And when we get up tomorrow morning, we can get a plan together and start this weekend or whenever you're ready. There is no rush, sweetie. We can take as much time as you need."

Arizona smiled. Callie always seemed to know the right things to say and how to bring her off the ledge. It all seemed manageable, especially because Callie kept saying 'we' as she spoke. She had never really been part of a 'we' that she trusted and the feeling of having someone there to support her brought an entire new confidence level about the blonde.

"So I stink, huh?" she giggled wiping the remaining tears away from her face before turning around in Callie's lap to face her.

Callie laughed and kissed Arizona lightly on the lips. "Yes, you do. And you're bleeding" said noticing the scratch marks across Arizona's chest, probably from the bushes.

"It doesn't hurt. I didn't even notice" Arizona sighed trying to look down at her own chest.

"Another reason to get you home and get you cleaned up. So what do you say?" Callie asked softly.

"I say thank you Calliope Torres. I'm not sure what I would do without you. I'm so sorry for acting like a crazy person" she said dropping her eyes from Callie's gaze.

Kissing Arizona's forehead before picking Arizona's chin up to meet her eyes, she smiled and said "Arizona, there is nothing to apologize for. Everyone deals with things in different ways. Just know that I am here for you and I will be with you every step of the way."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Callie suggested that she drive Arizona back to Beaufort and leave her truck at the cottage. Arizona looked exhausted and Callie was afraid that she wouldn't be able to stay awake on the drive back. She was right. Arizona fell asleep the second they pulled out of the driveway, her head resting on Callie's lap. When they got to Arizona's house, Callie filled a warm bubble bath up for Arizona and started a fire before she woke her up.

"Hey sweetie. We're home" she said as she gently stroked Arizona's cheek with the back of her hand.

"Hmmm, already?" she said barely opening her eyes.

"Come on. I already got a bath started for you."

Arizona climbed out of the truck and was held up by Callie as they made their way into Arizona's house.

"Now I want you to relax in the bath for a while. I am going to order some Chinese food for dinner and put on a pot of tea."

Callie watched as Arizona slipped her clothes off her tired body. Callie never got tired of seeing Arizona naked, but now was not the time to satisfy her sexual desires. Arizona got into the warm bath and Callie went out into the living room to wait for the Chinese food. Thirty minutes later, Arizona appeared from the back of the house wrapped in her fluffy robe. She stood in the doorway of the kitchen while she watched Callie unpack the bag of food.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Callie asked.

"Much better now, thank you. I didn't realize how tired I was. I really needed that." She walked up behind Callie and placed a light kiss on Callie's shoulder before walking to the cupboard to get out two plates.

"Did you order everything off the menu?" she laughed as she saw at least twenty containers spread out on the counter.

"Well I didn't know what you were in the mood for so I ordered all of your favorite things. I figured whatever we didn't eat today, we could eat this weekend."

"You are too good to me Calliope Torres. Thank you. And I mean that Callie. Thank you for everything. I haven't been fair to you and I am so sorry."

Callie didn't hesitate. She dropped everything she was doing and wrapped her arms around Arizona and kissed her long and hard. Pulling back from their kiss, she looked into light blue eyes.

"Arizona, there is nothing to be sorry about. I love you and I will do everything in my power to make sure that you are safe, loved, and happy. Anything you can't do, I will. I want to be here for you, through everything and I will do my very best to help you through anything. I'm not going anywhere, Arizona. I am right here."

Arizona felt a tear slip down her cheek. It wasn't a sad tear. It was a tear that was full of love and happiness. For the first time in days, she finally felt at peace.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! After a little bit of drama, I think it's time for Arizona and Callie to get back to happier times. What do you think?! Thanks for your reviews!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I am so so very sorry for the delay. I had a family emergency and haven't been able to write. Plus the holidays tied in there and unfortunately the delay was inevitable. All is well now so I should be able to get back on track with my planned weekly updates!**

 **This chapter ended up being longer than my normal updates, but I figured it was okay since you had to wait so long!**

 **As always, thank you so much for your reviews. It makes me happy to know that other people are enjoying this story as much as I am…even though I get to know what happens first** **J hehe – anyways, I hope this chapter makes up for the long wait.**

The sun was getting ready to set and darkness would soon be upon them. Arizona took a step back and admired their work from the middle of the front yard. In just a month's time, they were able to resurface the entire outside of the cottage with a new coat of bright white paint. Dark black shutters now hung next to every window and the front door really popped in fire engine red. The house looked like it could be on one of those "do it yourself" home remodeling shows.

The day after her rampage at the cottage, Arizona took Callie's advice and worked with her to develop a plan on what needed to be done and how they would accomplish the work. Callie suggested starting on the outside to make the transition to the inside a bit easier, which Arizona wholeheartedly agreed. Callie also suggested starting the work on the cottage in lieu of making any decisions about selling versus keeping it since she could tell Arizona was having a hard time. It took some of the pressure off Arizona and still allowed them to get the work done.

After admiring their work for a little while, Arizona caught a glimpse of the brunette working on the last railing of the front porch. Staring at Callie effortlessly working on the house made her heart swell. Not once did Callie complain. She just jumped right in and helped her through this entire process. Unfortunately, their relationship had started to morph into more of a friendship with long days spent working on the cottage and lazy nights on the couch drinking beer and eating pizza. The last month really forced them into popping their pretty pink romance bubble and Arizona felt guilty. They were finally at a stopping point on the house and Arizona was determined to reignite the spark in their relationship. Before making her way back over to the house, she grabbed two beer bottles out of their cooler and walked up behind the sweaty brunette crouched down painting the last railing on the porch. "Almost done?" she cheerfully asked as she stood behind her.

"There! Just finished" Callie sang as she put her paint brush into the half empty white paint can before standing up to face a cheerful Arizona, dimples out in full force. Callie felt her heart skip a beat. They had been working for almost twelve hours, yet Arizona couldn't look more beautiful. She was wearing blue jean overalls with a white tank top underneath, her hair was meticulously braided, and she had smudges of white paint along her neck and cheek. There was something about her smile and the sparkle in Arizona's eyes that Callie couldn't quite put her finger on but made butterflies flutter around her stomach like they did the first time they met. She suddenly felt nervous. Breaking her out of her thoughts, Arizona handed Callie a beer with a cute smile and a wink before bending down to help Callie clean up the rest of the materials from painting the railing. Arizona didn't get too far before she felt a tug on her wrist pulling her back up and into a warm embrace.

"You are so sexy, do you know that" Callie husked into her mouth before boldly pressing her lips to Arizona's. Arizona was pleasantly surprised and kissed the eager Latina back, wrapping her arms around Callie's neck to deepen the kiss. Pulling away from perky pink lips, Callie ran her tongue along Arizona's jawline, pressing her lips firmly against the blonde's pulse point under her earlobe before whispering in her ear "you have no idea what you do to me."

"Mmmm…I'm hoping you will show me after we clean up when we get back to your place" she growled into Callie's mouth.

Callie was shocked at Arizona's response. They hadn't had sex since their night at the cottage over a month ago and the sudden change in Arizona's mood had her almost begging for the blonde's touch. Swallowing hard, she pressed a quick kiss against Arizona's lips and looked into deep blue orbs. "I think we can arrange for that to happen" she smirked and swiftly turned Arizona around so her back was pressed against her chest while they looked into the sunset. They stood in silence as the bright orange globe disappeared against the horizon.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you something. Now don't be obligated to say yes, I mean, we don't have to go if you don't want to, but the town's fall festival is this weekend and…" Arizona hesitated as she picked at the label of her beer bottle before continuing "…and well there is a parade, and a dance, and fireworks. It's a pretty big deal in town, uh, and I…I've never been to the fall festival before with a date and…" Arizona paused taking a quick sip of her beer. _Spit it out Arizona_ she thought to herself. She could see the smile on Callie's face which signaled she would say yes, but she still needed to officially ask. "I was wondering if you would want to be my date?"

Callie waited patiently until Arizona was done rambling, but her insides were burning with joy. She knew the winter festival was a big event in Beaufort. Grandma Bernie told her it is basically the last hurrah before winter. She was considering asking Arizona, but after everything that had happened over the last month, she wasn't sure if Arizona would actually want to go. Callie quickly spun her girlfriend around in her arms. Seeing the uneasiness in soft blue eyes that were staring back at her, she leaned in and pressed her lips against the blonde's. Pulling back, her smile lit up the room and pure love filled her eyes. "I would love to go with you Arizona."

"Really?" Arizona's heart was now thumping wildly in her chest. Callie was her girlfriend after all, but she was still really nervous about asking her to go. Over the last month, their relationship had mostly been about Arizona dealing with her past and they had little time to really be a couple. Yet, as promised, Callie had been right by Arizona's side every step of the way. They spent numerous nights fixing up the cabin, too exhausted to have sex, too exhausted to go out on dates. To make up for it, Arizona planned to make the winter festival all about Callie and make the night special.

"Yes! Arizona, I would be honored to be your date" she laughed and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

All of a sudden, Arizona's emotions got the best of her and she started jumping up and down like a little kid. Through all of her excitement, she didn't even care that she probably looked insane. She was just elated that Callie said yes.

Seeing Arizona carefree in this moment was pure joy. Over the last month, Callie noticed the sparkle that she'd grown to love had left Arizona's eyes from dealing with the cottage and the memories from her past. She was determined to bring that sparkle back, however long it took, and it appears that this was the first step in the right direction. "Okay, easier there Tigger" Callie said as she pulled slightly on Arizona's wrists to stop her from bouncing up and down.

"I know! I am just so excited! I'm not sure what came over me" she laughed at how crazy she was acting, especially admiring the Tigger comment from Winnie the Poo. Looking at the grin plastered on Callie's face, her heart was pain free for the first time in a long time.

Over the next few nights, Arizona put the final touches on her plan for their date to the fall festival. They were at a good stopping point on the cottage so she put that in the back of her mind and focused only on the sexy brunette she wanted to impress. Nerves swarmed around her stomach like it was their first date all over again. Callie had been so patient over the last few weeks, but she didn't deserve to be stuck in the middle of all of this nonsense. She loved how great she was as a friend, but she needed more. And she knew Callie did too. Their lust for one another has been suppressed for far too long. She was determined to reignite that spark and make this day perfect.

Walking down the semi-gravel driveway of Callie's rental property, butterflies once again appeared. Arizona felt her palms begin to sweat and her mind began to race. _What is wrong with me? I've picked Callie up dozens of times before. This is just like any other time._ Except it wasn't and Arizona knew it. This was the rebirth of their relationship. She quickly climbed the stairs of Callie's front porch and stopped when she finally reached the door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked confidently on the door.

"Good morning beautiful" she smiled and extended a warm cup of peppermint spiced latte towards the sexy Latina as she opened the door.

"Mmmm good morning my love" she said as she leaned in for a quick kiss, accepting the much needed caffeine. Callie wasn't a morning person, but she could certainly make an exception for today since it was the fall festival and Arizona planned an entire day's worth of activities. Never the less, caffeine was much appreciated. "I'm ready to go! So where to?" she questioned, noticing Arizona didn't have her truck with her.

"Well I figured we could walk, since our coffees might be laced with a little Bailey's and Amaretto" she mischievously laughed.

"My my, what have you done with my girlfriend? Her name is Arizona Robbins. Have you seen her?" Callie teased as she pretended to look for Arizona over her shoulder.

Arizona playfully swatted Callie's arm and pulled her into a strong hug. "I'm right here you goof. Now let's go before we are late for the parade."

Comfortable silence filled the air as they walked hand and hand down the quite alley towards Main Street. In the distance, they could hear a mix of music, laughter, and chatter ringing in the air. The parade started shortly after they claimed a spot near the judging booth and both were in awe of the talent that danced and sang down the normal quite streets of town. Arizona's child-like personality came out when she stumbled into the streets after the candy that was thrown from the firetrucks and floats.

"You 100% just stole that Tootsie Roll from that little kid!" Callie exclaimed as she watched Arizona come back with a fistful of candy.

"I did not!"

"Yes you did. He is giving you the stink eye right now." Callie could see the scowl on the kids face behind Arizona's back. "Seriously, we need to get out of here before his parents start yelling" Callie laughed as she grabbed the blonde's hand and yanked her towards the other side of the judging station.

Arizona broke out into a giggle fit and she leaned over to catch her breath from running and laughing so hard. "You should have seen the look on that kid's face!" Arizona laughed.

"Oh my God! You did know! You meanie!" Callie laughed as she playfully pushed on Arizona's shoulder.

Arizona shot Callie her famous dimpled smile, causing the brunette's heart to melt and capture waiting pink lips. "You are something else, Arizona Robbins" she smiled snaking her hand into flowing blonde locks. She stared into glistening blue eyes that were full of youth and innocence. It was a look Callie wanted to see more often. Stress, worry, and sorrow had disappeared and was replaced with happiness. Their moment was interrupted when the announcer came over the loud speaker to announce the finalist for the parade.

"Sounds like the parade is just about over. How about we head over to the food carts and get some good old fashioned carnival food. I hear they have cotton candy this year" she said as her eyes twinkled.

"Oh, I'm not sure you need any more sugar, silly lady."

"Oh yea?" Arizona scoffed slowly walking backwards away from Callie. "Well you better stop me" she yelled before darting through the crowd towards the town center. Nearing her destination, she felt strong arms wrap her up and pull her into a dark alley.

"Mmmm how about this for stopping you" Callie husked as she pinned Arizona face first against the brick wall of the building, holding her hands above her head with one hand while she ran her other up her girlfriend's thigh. Her mouth immediately latched onto her neck and she placed soft bites and wet kisses along collarbone.

Arizona let out a moan at the touch of the Latina's strong hands that were dangerously close to her now heated center. Realizing this day was all about Callie, she quickly spun Callie around so that she had her back to the wall and her hands were now pinned above her head, she nibbled on Callie's ear "my turn."

Knowing the parade would be over soon and more people would venture down towards the town square, adrenaline pulsed through Callie's veins at the thought of being caught. They were deep enough into the alley way that she figured no one would be able to seem them even if they did walk by, but the thrill of it turned her on to no end. Callie felt her pulse quicken as Arizona's fingers came dangerously close to her heated center. She absolutely loved seeing Arizona take control.

Arizona made discrete work of Callie's zipper, pulling her jeans down just enough so that she was able to slide two fingers against Callie's throbbing clit.

Callie tilted her head back against the brick wall which provided slightly more pain the pleasure but Arizona's hands were providing all the pleasure she needed. She quickly pulled away from the wall slightly and leaned into Arizona, resting her head on her shoulder while one hand laced itself within Arizona's hair and the other found her ass. It didn't take long for her orgasm to build and soon she was close to her peak.

"Oh God Arizona, don't stop" she said in between breaths as her orgasm grew closer and closer to the edge.

Knowing that Callie was close, she quickly slipped two fingers deep into her core, immediately feeling the Latina's walls pull her fingers in even deeper. She started rubbing her clit with her thumb. She felt Callie grab tightly onto the back of her jacket and pull her in closer, begging for more contact.

"I'm…right there. Yes, Arizona" she screamed as she came around Arizona's fingers.

Arizona quickly pulled out and licked Callie's juices from her fingers before placing a quick kiss on the trembling brunette. She quickly pulled Callie's zipper up and buttoned her pants before smirking as she walked back down the alley towards the town. Before she reached the end, Callie ran up behind her and pulled her in close.

"Where are you going? You can't just leave me back there" she giggled into the blonde's ear.

"I didn't want to make it too suspicious" she laughed, knowing she was just toying with the brunette.

"Mmmm let's just got back to my place and do that all night" she only half teased.

Arizona wanted nothing more than to do that, however she had an entire day planned and was determined to keep to her plan. The anticipation of having Callie writhing under her all night was almost too much to handle, but she pushed her desires aside to stick with her date ideas. "Ah, not just yet, Calliope. We have a full day planned. That was just a quick teaser for what I have in store for you tonight" she husked as she heard Callie's breathing hitch.

Over the next few hours, the pair ate from several different food carts, played a few games, listened to the live band, and made gingerbread houses. Arizona ended up winning Callie one of those giant teddy bear stuffed animals which was almost too big to carry and Callie won Arizona a stuffed dog that looked like Charlie. They were having an amazing time being out in the crisp air and just being together. It was getting later in the afternoon and they both went their separate ways to get ready for the evening dance.

Pacing around her room, Callie had no idea what to wear. She had pulled just about everything she owned from the closet and still was coming up empty handed. Just then she heard a knock on her front door.

"Damn it" she cursed under her breath. She was still in her robe and judging by the clock, it was probably Arizona at the door. She heard a knock one more time before she flung the door open.

"Hey beautiful" Arizona said before placing a quick kiss on Callie's cheek. "I hope you are not planning on wearing that because I am already jealous of everyone that would get to admire this version of Calliope and you aren't even in public yet" she giggled.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny Arizona. I don't have a clue what to wear" she spat back as she drooled looking at the sexy blonde in her doorway. Even in the simplest of outfits, she was stunning. She wore her red and black checkered three quarter length sleeved button up tucked into jeans that looked like they were painted on, cowboy boots, an oversized belt buckle and a cowboy hat to top it all off. The theme of the dance was old school country backyard barbeque and being from Seattle, Callie certainly didn't have the proper attire.

"You can wear anything Calliope and you will look stunning" she purred. She could tell Callie was flustered. Her hair was thrown up in a messy bun and her chest was blotchy. "Come on. Let me help you" she said pulling Callie's hand towards her bedroom. As she stepped inside, she was met with what looked like the destruction from a tornado. Clothes were even hanging from her standing lamp in the corner of her room. "No wonder you can't find anything. Look at the mess you made" she laughed trying to lighten Callie's anxiety.

Callie immediately dropped her gaze and stared at the floor. She almost felt defeated. She was a city girl, and what city girls wore to a party was completely different than what she was supposed to wear to a backyard barbeque dance. She was out of her element.

Arizona quickly realized Callie was feeling a bit self-conscious by the change in her posture. "Hey, hey, hey. What's wrong" she said as she brought her finger under Callie's chin to force her eyes to become level with hers.

"I'm sorry Arizona. I just…I don't know if I fit in."

Arizona quickly placed a soft kiss on Callie's lips before running out of the room, leaving Callie confused. In just a few minutes, she returned with a large square box wrapped in silver wrapping paper and a pink bow. It screamed Arizona.

"What's this?" Callie asked. It wasn't her birthday, it wasn't a holiday.

"Just open it, silly" she giggled handing the gift to Callie.

Callie quickly unwrapped the package and lifted the lid to the box. Inside, was a light brown, leather cowgirl hat, decorated with beads around the base of the hat and a red gem in the middle that matched Arizona's blue gem on her own hat. Callie's mouth hung open in surprise. She had never received a gift that was full of so much love and care. "Arizona" she whispered.

"Every southern girl needs to have her own cowgirl hat" she smiled as she pulled it out of the box and placed it on top of Callie's head, tucking long black hair behind her ears so that her face was prominent. "Perfect fit."

Callie was speechless. A smile was the only thing that was present in her response. In this moment, Callie knew that Beaufort was going to remain her home, as long as Arizona would have her. She had been running for a long time and now, she was finally done.

As Callie continued to stare at her girlfriend in awe, Arizona continued sorting through the piles of clothes all over Callie's room, looking for the perfect outfit. Finally coming across what she was looking for, she made her way back over to Callie. Snapping her out of her trance, Arizona held up her famous black leather jacket. "And this will go perfectly with your new hat, this purple sweater, and these jeans make your butt look oh so sexy" she winked as she laid the outfit out on the bed.

Callie quickly wrapped her arms around Arizona, pulling her back flush against her front.

"Oh!" Arizona gasped at the sudden embrace.

"Thank you" she whispered in her ear, taking a quick nibble, before placing a kiss against her neck. She slowly traced Arizona's toned arms and intertwined their fingers together.

Callie's skin against her was like velvet, so soft and so perfect. Turning around in Callie's arms she felt Callie's nose slightly lift her hat to have better access to her waiting pink lips and she was pulled into a deep kiss. Callie traced her tongue along her bottom lip and she happily allowed her entrance. Finally coming up for oxygen, Arizona's blue eyes once again met Callie's that had turned a deep brown. Knowing that if she didn't stop this now, they would never made it to the dance.

"Come on cowgirl. We have a dance to get to" she smiled her famous dimple smile and patted Callie on the ass before twirling around and leaving the room.

Arriving at the event was like a fairytale Callie had only experienced through watching movies. The party was held at the Mayor's home just outside of the town square. The house was an old plantation on over 50 acres of land. The front of the house had vast pointed peaks over each window, the shingles were made from terracotta, and the expansive porch was held up by decorative pillars. The entire home was outlined in white Christmas lights, amplifying each unique feature. It was like something Callie had only experienced through the movies. Walking through the front door of the home, they stepped foot into a thirty foot foyer, decorated with lights and fall themed décor.

"Wow. This place is amazing" Callie gasped as she took in the scene that was unfolding around her.

"Its one of the largest homes in the entire state" Arizona explained.

They continued into the expansive home and were greeted by friends and families mostly familiar to Arizona, but since working at the bar, Callie also started to get to know some of the locals.

"Why hello dear, so glad you were able to make it" chimed a woman from behind the kitchen counter.

"Adele! It's so great to see you! Thank you for inviting us!" Arizona responded back cheerfully embracing the woman in a long hug.

"Us? Why Arizona honey, your grandmother mentioned you were dating someone but I didn't know you were bringing her to the party. She must really be something special" she smiled lovingly at Arizona.

"Oh she definitely is" Arizona smiled the biggest dimpled smile Callie had ever seen. "Adele, this is Calliope Torres. Calliope, this is Adele Webber. She is one of my grandmother's oldest friends. Her husband is Mayor Richard Webber."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Webber. You have a lovely home" Callie blushed.

"Oh honey call me Adele. And please, make yourself at home." Turning once again to focus her attention on Arizona, she said "Food will be out shortly, go on out back and show off your new eye candy. Bernie told me she was beautiful but she is even more beautiful in person."

"Adele" Arizona squealed, her cheeks becoming redder than Callie's.

"Oh hush now dear. Go on and have some fun." Adele winked at Callie one last time before turning back around to stir the pot on the stove.

Arizona grabbed Callie's hand and brought her out onto the back deck. "Well that was embarrassing" she growled. "I'm sorry Callie. Apparently Arizona Robbins' love life is the talk of the town.

Callie turned Arizona around so that she was now facing her. "Well lucky for you, I love being part of Arizona Robbins' love life" she husked before placing a quick peck on the blonde's cheek. "Now I think you promised me a dance and I hear one of my favorite songs on" she smiled pulling Arizona down towards the backyard.

The scene before them was like a fairytale. Oversized wine barrels were used as tables, lanterns lit the path to and from the house, Christmas lights were hung throughout the large mossy trees, and a giant dance floor was set up under the stars in the middle of the yard. The band played mostly country songs but did manage to throw in a few more modern hits in every once in a while.

"Frank Sinatra? Really? I didn't picture you as a Frank fan." Arizona giggled as they began to dance to ' _Come Fly With Me.'_

"Well it's not my _favorite_ song but I figured I won't know most of the country songs that will be played tonight and I wanted an excuse to be closer to you" she smirked pulling Arizona in a little closer.

"Mmmm I think I just became a Frank fan myself" she whispered before bringing Callie into a deep kiss before pulling away to continue dancing. Their bodies swayed perfectly together in rhythm to the music. Arizona could feel basically the entire town staring at her. She was usually very reserved when it came to her love life and this is the first time that most of them saw her with a date, let alone kissing her. But Arizona didn't care. She was finally happy and no one was going to take that away from her.

They danced a few more songs before stopping to get a drink from the bar. "Two whisky gingers please" Arizona ordered. After grabbing their drinks they made their way over to the lower deck to watch the band play and the dancers break out their best square dancing routines.

"Phoenix? Is that you?" a deep voice bellowed from behind them. Turning around Arizona's eyes widened and jumped into the man's arms. If she wasn't gay, Callie would be a little worried, but after seeing their long embrace, Callie knew they had to have been friends for years.

"Nick! Oh my God! What are you doing here?" she screamed and jumped up and down, similarly as to when Callie said yes to go to the festival with her.

"I am home on break. I have two weeks this year. I won't be home for Christmas, but Thanksgiving will do."

Callie listened to the pair ramble on about everything and anything until she felt Arizona stiffen and turn to look at her wide eyed. "Oh my God I am so rude. Callie I am so sorry. This is Nick. We have been best friends for only God knows how long. We grew up together and he was an Army Ranger with Tim. Nick, this is my girlfriend Calliope Torres."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Calliope."

"It's Callie" she responded sending a quick glare to Arizona.

"Flagstaff, finally settling down, huh?" he teased. "Well you must know, she is already off the market."

"Tim" Arizona hissed but it was too late. Callie was certainly confused.

"Oh yea, you didn't know? We are married. It was a beautiful ceremony. Timmy was our officiant. After that, we shared a juice box and a snack and called it a day" Nick beamed at the memory.

"Yeah yeah yeah. We were, what? Ten? And that was before I knew I liked girls" Arizona giggled. She kept a close eye on Callie's reaction and immediately felt at ease when Callie's megawatt smile reappeared on her face.

"Well I will say, you have some competition on your hands. I don't give up easily and I don't like to lose" she bantered back to Nick.

"Game on. And here is where I will start by asking the young lady if she would like to dance?"

Arizona looked over a Callie nervously and received a confident nod from her sexy girlfriend. _Oh she is so getting laid tonight_ Arizona thought as Nick led her onto the dance floor.

Callie watched Arizona move around the dance floor with Nick like they owned the place. They danced to several country songs and Arizona was a natural. The way she swayed her hips from side to side had Callie drooling with desire. She had never seen a woman more beautiful than Arizona and she had to keep reminding herself that the sexy blonde she was ogling over picked her.

Callie made her way over to the bar for another drink when she felt strong arms snake through her own pulling her flush into the front of her girlfriend.

"Mmmm I saw you watching me" she husked into the brunette's ear.

"You are hard not to watch" she replied turning to face her girlfriend.

"Wanna dance?"

"I thought you'd never ask" she winked.

Callie was out of her element, dancing to country songs, but she still wanted to feel Arizona's body against her. Arizona began to show Callie the steps by standing next to her, kicking one foot out and then the other, bringing her heels together and twirling around. Callie fumbled through each of the steps but came somewhat close to matching the blonde. She was a little frustrated because she thought of herself as a great dancer to Latin or Hip Hop music, but never country. Arizona stepped in front of the Latina and placed her hands on her curvy hips behind her. "Move your hips like this cowgirl" Arizona husked bringing her ass flush against what she could only image as Callie's dripping hot center. She felt Callie's hands rest against her hips, matching her rhythm. Arizona intertwined her finger's with Callie's and raised both of their arms above their heads, before losing them in Callie's deep brown locks. Arizona quickly pushed her ass roughly against Callie, teasingly, before she twirled out of her grasp and continued to dance like nothing had happened. The truth was, they were basically fucking on the dancefloor and neither of them could take being so close to one another any longer.

A few more songs passed by and dinner was ready. Callie and Arizona sat down with Grandma Bernie, Mr and Mrs Webber, Nick, and a few friends that Grandma Bernie plays cards with. Conversation flowed steadily, but Arizona knew it was only a matter of time before curiosity got the best of the ladies at the table. Grandma Bernie's friend Connie was the first to speak up.

"Arizona, your grandmother tells me you have been fixing up the old cottage. That will be such a nice place for you and Callie to grow old in" she said innocently.

Arizona choked on a piece of cornbread she had just put in her mouth, not just because of the question about the cottage, but also about inferring that her and Callie were going to live there together. "Uh, yes we are fixing it up, but I haven't decided if I am going to keep it or not." She decided it was safest to not answer the other question.

Callie caught the glimmer of tears begin to form in Arizona's eyes which were immediately blinked away. She gently placed her hand on the blonde's thigh and squeezed gently for support and comfort. Trying to distract Connie from more questions, Callie quickly asked Adele about the age of the house and the history behind it.

Wanting to get back to the topic of Callie and Arizona, Adele decided to change the subject once again. "So tell me dear, how do you like Beaufort?" Adele asked.

"I love it. Everyone is so friendly, it is very peaceful" she replied before taking a bite of her brisket sandwich.

"You are staying down at the old Avery beachfront cottage, is that right?" she pried a little further into Callie's life.

Callie was quite until she finished chewing, which seemed like hours, but was only a few seconds. Callie got the feeling she was being interrogated and she suddenly became nervous. "Uh, I think that is who I am renting it from" she replied unsure.

"Yes, that is where Callie has been living. You really throw a nice party Richard and Adele. Thanks for inviting us" Arizona chimed in to save her girlfriend before shooting an uncomfortable glance at Adele.

"Oh you know you are always welcome honey." Turning her attention back to Callie, she continued her questioning. "So what brings you to the dingy old town of Beaufort? Are you staying much longer? Please tell me you aren't planning on leaving anytime soon and breaking our little Arizona's heart."

"Adele" Arizona warned but before she could say anything else, she heard Callie speak up.

"Well, Adele, I was just passing through and was mauled by Arizona's vicious attack dog, stole about $10.00 worth of groceries at her store, and thought working at the Shrimp Shack sounded like a good idea at the time. It was then that I knew it was love at first sight and I had to stay" Callie responded with the most obscure answer she could come up with, making Arizona spit her iced tea out, choking for the second time in a matter of minutes. "And as for breaking her heart" Callie turned and looked deep into Arizona's worried eyes. "I would never intend to break her heart. I plan on proving that to her every day as long as she will have me" she smiled. The response to the question wasn't for Adele or any of the other old biddies that were sitting at the table, the response was only for Arizona.

Adele's expression was pure shock and before she could respond, Arizona quickly excused them from the table and dragged Callie down past the party and close to the boat dock.

"Oh my God. Oh my God, Oh my God! Callie! I can't believe you just did that." Arizona was laughing so hard that she was having trouble breathing. "I have been wanting to do that for years. She always pries in my life and asks such personal questions. Personal space does not exist to that woman." The pair continue to laugh until they were out of breath. By then, they had made their way to the grassy patch of land before the docks began, looking up at the stars. Arizona propped herself up onto her forearm so that she was on her side looking at Callie, who was still laying on her back trying to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry that you were asked such awkward questions. I think they are just so excited to see me with someone and they want to know everything there is about you. I mean, who wouldn't want to know everything there is to know about you, Calliope."

Smiling Callie mirrored Arizona's position and leaned in to capture her lips. "I meant what I said though, I want to be with you every day of my life as long as you will have me." It wasn't a proposal, more like a promise but both Callie and Arizona knew that they were it for each other. They were each other's person, lover, and soul mate.

"I love you Calliope. Every day of my life." Their lips then crashed together once again, this time, full of passion and love. Callie pushed Arizona on her back and straddle her leg, while her hand roamed freely down the side of her lover's body, finally hooking her thumb in the belt loop of her jeans.

"Eres demasiado bueno para mi (you are too good to me)" Callie whispered in her ear.

Arizona quickly felt her pulse quicken hearing Callie talk in Spanish. It was the first time she had ever used the language around her. Feeling Callie's breath against her neck speaking a different language was the sexiest thing she had ever experienced.

"I think it's time for some dessert back at my place." Arizona winked before leading Callie out of the party through the back gate and back towards her house.

 **Thank you so much for reading. Next chapter - a little bit of fall festival smut. :) Please review! Thanks!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! You guys are (in true Arizona style) Awesome! Hope you enjoy this chapter. Wanted to do something fun in addition to our girls' end of their date. Enjoy!**

Rushing out the back gate Arizona felt alive. Her pulse was racing, lust and arousal swirling between her thighs. She had been waiting to be alone with Callie all day, and that time was finally here. Hand in hand, they quickly ascended from the back lawn via the side of the house and towards the street. Just before the pair reached the top of the driveway, the sound of a man clearing his throat stopped them dead in their tracks.

"And where do you think you are running off to Ms. Robbins?" the voice grumbled in the shadows of a large willow tree near the entrance of the front path. A smoky cherry flavor filled Arizona's nostrils which she knew could only come from Mayor Webber's cigar. It was his signature scent and brought so many memories flooding back to Arizona's mind every time the scent was present. She was thankful only a small lamp illuminated the pathway, allowed the embarrassment on her cheeks become easy to hide.

"We umm… we were just getting some fresh air" Arizona said fumbling over her words. She had never been good at hiding things, especially around people of authority, and especially around Richard. He was best friends with her grandmother ever since they were little. They were practically family. When Arizona's parents passed, he stepped right in to help look after both Arizona and Tim. He became a steady father figure in their lives, and for that, she was eternally grateful.

"Mmmhmmm" he mumbled, letting Arizona know full well that he didn't believe her. "I was afraid you were trying to sneak out of here without your annual performance."

Arizona once again felt her face turn red, flushed with embarrassment. She completely forgot about playing for the party. She certainly wasn't expecting to let Callie in on her secrete.

Sensing the hesitation from Arizona and the shocked expression on Callie's face, Richard put two and two together. "What she didn't tell you? Arizona here is one hell of a guitar player. She steals the show every year."

"Richard" Arizona hissed and immediately covered her face with her hands, dragging them down the entire length before tangling them in her hair. She was flustered. The lust between her legs had now faded and her pulse raced for a completely different reason now. She had never played in front of any of her past girlfriends or lovers. Not too many people outside of Beaufort knew about her secrete talent.

"You play?" Callie looked at Arizona, a wide smile stretching across her face.

"No, uh, not really. I am not that good. I've play at the festival in the past because one of the performers became ill and the town kept asking each year for me to do it again and again." Arizona shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal. "I guess I didn't make their ears bleed too much for them to want me to play again" she nervously giggled.

Callie placed her hand on the small of Arizona's back as a sign of comfort and support. She had to admit, she was excited to hear Arizona play.

"Oh honey, you make beautiful music. Everyone would be disappointed if you didn't play this year" Richard hinted. He really wasn't asking, he was telling her. "Go on, get back in there and get set up."

Arizona dropped her head and pulled away from Callie. With a nod and forced smile towards Richard, she turned and quickly walked back down the driveway towards the party they had just left, leaving Callie to basically run to catch up with her.

"Arizona? Arizona. Wait. Arizona" she said louder, grabbing the blonde's arm forcing her to stop.

Standing there, her heart was beating out of her chest. She felt Callie wrap her arms around her from the back and place a single kiss on the scar on her temple.

"You don't have to Arizona" she whispered.

"It's not that. I mean, Richard is right. I do play every year for these people. I just…"

Pausing, she felt Callie kiss the top of her head, sending a sign of love and confidence through her veins.

"I'm sorry. I've just never played in front of anyone before."

Callie was confused. She just said she has played here for years. She took a few minutes to think about what she was saying and finally realized it was her that Arizona was uncomfortable to play in front of.

"Oh sweetie. Come here" she whispered turning Arizona around in her arms and pulling her into a deep embrace. "You are going to do great. I'll be your biggest fan" she smiled finding baby blues full of embarrassment. She gave pink lips a quick peck and looked deep into Arizona's eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too" she smiled and let out the breath she had been holding. She wasn't sure why she reacted the way she did. She trusted Callie and knew that Callie would be supportive no matter what, but the butterflies of playing in front of her sent her for a tailspin.

"Come on. I'm sure the crowd is anxiously waiting" Callie said with a giggle.

Twenty minutes later, Callie found herself standing on the same deck she was on earlier when she watched Nick dance with Arizona. She took a few minutes to survey her surroundings. The table of old biddies sitting with Grandma Bernie were still there, some women throwing daggers with their eyes at her every once in a while, the dance floor was full now with couples dance to the upbeat country music that Callie barely recognized, and the line at the bar was about a mile long. Before long, a loud squeal of the microphone and a "testing 1, 2, 3" loomed over the crowd. Mayor Webber was standing at attention and trying to quite the audience.

"Good evening, and welcome to Beaufort's 75th annual fall festival." A round of applause roared through the crowd, followed by Richard thanking different families and talking about upcoming events. After a few more rounds of applause, Callie snapped out of her daydream when he heard Richard mention Arizona's name.

"…Robbins has been a part of this festival celebration since she was in diapers. She is a staple to what the term 'good people' means to this town. A doctor, a friend, and a family member, let's give a warm welcome to Beaufort's own country star, Arizona Robbins."

A loud round of applause and whistling coming from the crowd proceeded Arizona from stepping on stage. Callie's pulse started to race at the site of her girl walking onto the stage, decked out in her cowgirl hat, leather boots, tight jeans, checkered shirt, and a guitar strapped around her shoulder. Callie wasn't sure it was possible for Arizona to be any sexier than she was in that moment, yet she has thought that in the past and was deemed wrong. She continued to surprise Callie.

A quick clearing of her throat and Arizona began to address the crowd. "Good evening Beaufort. I just wanted to echo Mayor Webber's kind words and thank each and every one of you for attending tonight. I feel so blessed to be a part of this wonderful community. Many of you have been my rock throughout most of my life and for that, I am eternally grateful. This year, I have also found someone special. She has encouraged me to be my best and not to settle for anything less than everything. She has helped me grow in more ways than I have ever thought possible. She loves me unconditionally and supports me every day. I want to send a special thank you to my special someone. Babe, this one is for you" she finishes sending a wink up to Callie.

"Fifteen minutes left to throw me together  
For misses right now, not misses forever  
Don't know why I even try when I know how it ends  
Looking like another: "maybe we could be friends."  
I've been leaving it up to fate  
It's my life, so it's mine to make

I ain't settling for just getting by  
I've had enough so-so for the rest of my life  
Tired of shooting too low, so raise the bar high  
Just enough ain't enough this time  
I ain't settling for anything less than everything, yeah

With some good red wine and my brand new shoes  
Gonna dance up a blue streak around my living room  
Take a chance on love and try how it feels  
With my heart wide open, now you know I will  
Find what it means to be the girl  
Change her mind and change her world

I ain't settling for just getting by  
I've had enough so-so for the rest of my life  
Tired of shooting too low, so raise the bar high  
Just enough ain't enough this time  
I ain't settling for anything less than everything

I ain't settling for just getting by  
I've had enough so-so for the rest of my life  
Tired of shooting too low, so raise the bar high  
Just not giving up this time

I ain't settling for just getting by  
I've had enough so-so for the rest of my life  
Tired of shooting too low, so raise the bar high  
I ain't settling, no, no, no, no, no, no

So raise the bar high"

 _(Settlin' – Sugarland)_

Callie didn't even realize that tears were streaming down her cheeks as she watched Arizona play. Emotions were at an all time high and her heart was bursting with joy. This was it. Arizona was her soulmate. They hadn't know each other for very long, but they didn't need to in order for Callie to know that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with the beautiful blonde on stage.

Callie composed herself and continued to listen to Arizona play. She played fast songs, slow songs, each more beautiful than the next. She was mesmerized by the tune of Arizona's guitar. It wasn't until she felt a tap on the back of her shoulder that she tore her gaze away from her girlfriend.

"You must be her" the woman in front of her smirked, her tone full of disdain. She was holding a bottle of white wine with two glasses.

Callie was taken back by the woman's forwardness and obvious issue with her being Arizona's girlfriend. She watched as she filled both glasses full of wine, offering one to her. "Uh, I'm sorry, you are?" Callie quickly surveyed the woman up and down. She figured she was probably in her mid-thirties, thin, brown hair, fair complexion. She was pretty, but nothing compared no Arizona.

"She must really like you, I mean for you to be here to listen to her play."

Callie took a quick sip of her wine, and turned back to face the stage where Arizona was singing "Life is a Highway" and the crowd was swaying back and forth listening to her play.

"Oh come on, don't be like that. I am just trying to make friendly conversation" the woman said taking another sip of her wine. She place a hand gently on Callie's arm, causing her to flinch.

"I'm sorry. I don't know you. Who are you?" Callie asked once again, starting to feel uncomfortable.

"She didn't tell you about me?" The woman now had a mischievous smile plastered across her face.

Callie swallowed another sip of wine and smiled back. "I guess you weren't worth remembering. Thanks for the wine. Have a nice night" smirked and headed towards the stage, leaving a stunned brunette behind. Arizona was only supposed to play for an hour and it was almost time for her set to end. She made her way to the front of the stage and listened as she strummed her guitar finishing up the last notes of "Summertime" by Kenny Chesney.

She would be lying if she said the conversation with the mysterious woman didn't bother her, but she was not about to give her the satisfaction of ruining their night. She would talk to Arizona in the morning or sometime in the future about her but tonight, she wanted to be Arizona's groupie and take her home.

Before Arizona left the stage, she captured Callie's warm brown eyes and motioned for her to meet her towards the side entrance. In the middle of her set, she saw Callie talking to her ex-girlfriend and her heart immediately stopped. She continued playing her guitar and putting on the performance, but it was almost as if time stood still. She was sure that Callie would bolt after talking to her ex and when she saw Callie disappear from the deck, she was sure she would never see Callie again. But right before the end of her last song, she was met with those brown eyes she was longing to see front and center, cheering for her. A flash of relief fell over her, but she knew she would still have questions to answer.

Making her way off stage, she was greeted by Callie with an outstretched hand of dandelions. "These are for you, cowgirl. You were amazing!" Arizona's cheeks became red once again, seeming to be the theme of the night, and gladly accepted the flowers and a passionate kiss from her girlfriend. The kiss was deep, almost as if Callie was claiming her, and Arizona was glad to accept it. The awkward moment that Arizona expected was nonexistent and she was so thankful.

Pulling away from the kiss, she felt Callie whisper into her ear "maybe one night I could get a private showing." Feeling her breath hitch, Arizona quickly shimmied out of the guitar, thanked everyone backstage for a great show, and pulled Callie back towards the back gate once again.

"Where are we going?"

"We are getting out of here once and for all" Arizona giggled and darted out of the party before anyone else was able to stop them.

Arizona couldn't contain herself, the sexual tension that pooled deep within her was threatening to fall with every step they took on the way to her house. Every tree, every stop sign, and every side of every building down the small streets of Beaufort became the perfect spot to pin Callie to. She even contemplated returning to the back ally that had the Latina screaming her name hours earlier, but she had other plans on how this night was supposed to end. Finally reaching her front door, she fumbled with her keys as Callie pinned her against it. Strong hands started at her hips and ran the length of her torso until they roughly cupped her plump breasts.

"You were so fucking sexy on that stage" Callie growled against Arizona's glistening neck. "I can't wait for the encore."

Arizona let out a deep moan, "Oh Fuck" she managed to squeak out, dropping her keys. Callie continued kneading her breast while nipping at her neck. "Cal…Callie." She was trying to form a full sentence but electricity pulsating through her veins made her lightheaded. She was quickly spun around, her back slamming against the door while plump red lips crashed into hers. She was slightly startled by their new position, but feeling Callie's leg press up against her center caused yet another welcoming wave of pleasure.

A sultry moan left her lips as the Latina pulled back to continue her assault on her collarbone. A shiver ran up her spine, both from the heat resonating between them and the slight chill from the fall air. "Callie…inside" was all she managed to squeak out. Callie swiftly picked up the keys and seamlessly placed them into the lock to open the door, never losing contact with the blonde. Stepping inside, she saw the low roar of the fireplace and a bed that was already made in front of it out of the corner of her eye.

"Mmmm I see someone was already prepared" she giggled pecking at pink lips as she back Arizona into the closed door, running her fingertips along the collar of Arizona's plaid shirt.

Arizona's eyes locked in with deep brown orbs staring back, a smile dancing across her face. This was their last stop of the night and she didn't want to come home and have to mess around with making a bed. "I'm always prepared" she giggled before pulling Callie into a deep, passionate kiss. Pulling back slightly, she kissed her way down her neck, finally nibbling on Callie's ear. "You're mine tonight" she husked, causing her girlfriend to shiver. She pushed them back away from the door and over towards the fireplace bed, her hands roaming the surface of Callie's perfect body the entire time. The stumbled over furniture and the dog before reaching their final destination.

Callie felt Arizona's hands everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Each graze of her fingertips left a trail of fire that could ignite an entire forest into flames. The sensation pooling between her thighs was equally hot. Arizona's hands made quick work of sliding off Callie's leather jacket and pulling her shirt over her head. She felt Callie pull at her own shirt, untucking it from her jeans and unbuttoning each button in a hurry. Letting Callie continue her work on her button down, she slowly trails wet kisses along the tops of plump breasts begging to be released from their confinements. Feeling her shirt fall off her shoulders in one quick motion, she took the final steps forward to melt her skin into the gorgeous brunette in front of her. It was almost as if their bodies were made for each other.

Callie's hands drifted down her sides, stopping to play with the hem of Arizona's jeans, tugging at her belt buckle. "Here, let me help you with that" she pants, removing her belt in one swift motion. It wasn't a normal buckle and she didn't want to waste time showing Callie how to take it off. Arizona mirrored Callie's motions and before they knew it, they were back flush against each other, hot skin melting into hot skin.

Callie felt a quick push down onto the bed, Arizona's thigh pressing firmly against her core while she hovered above her. Moans of pleasure fill the air. They pull back from their embrace for much needed oxygen. Staring down into deep chocolate eyes of her lover, Arizona whispers "you are so beautiful" before placing a chaste kiss against swollen lips. "Don't move" she threatened before removing herself from against the Latina's body, retreating from the living room. Callie heard some clanging around in what appeared to be the kitchen and before she knew it, Arizona was back placing a blindfold over her eyes.

"No peeking" she snickered tying the knot tight around the Latina's head. Feeling Callie's hands take hold of her hips, she quickly removed them and placed them above her head. "No touching either" she smirked, running her hands down tan arms and overtop of perky breasts.

Callie's senses were heightened with the inability to see. Normally she would be uncomfortable to be in this position, so vulnerable, but tonight, with Arizona, she was willing to give everything to her. She heard the sound of a canister shaking and quickly felt the coolness of what she figured to be whipped cream come in contact with her hard nipples. She also felt some other cool liquid run down the length of her torso, stopping right around her belly button. The coolness of both items mixed with the heat from her skin sent a euphoric pleasure straight to her already dripping wet center. She let out a long moan of pleasure when she felt Arizona's tongue dip in between her folds, sucking briefly on her clit, before consuming the liquid that started at her belly button and run up the length of her torso, stopping when she came in contact with her tongue. A mixture of chocolate sauce, her own juices, and Arizona invaded her taste buds.

"Oh my God, Arizona" she panted. She needed her. It was almost too much.

"Mmmm you taste so good Calliope."

Arizona was loving the effect she was having on Callie. The mixture of tastes could almost be the cause of her own orgasm. Dipping her tongue back between Callie's center, she took another swipe at her clit before running her tongue back up the length of Callie's torso, stopping to attack her left nipple, before claiming her mouth once again, and repeating the process a third time.

"Oh, Fuck, Arizona. I need you baby, please" Callie was desperate to feel Arizona inside her. She was so close to the edge and needed a release. She dropped her hands to wrap around Arizona's ass, but was stopped when she felt Arizona pull her hands back above her head.

"What did I say about no touching Calliope" Arizona played. "I'm not finished with you yet" she husked into her ear, sending Callie squirming beneath her.

"Please."

Arizona made good use of her tongue, tasting every inch of Callie's body. She loved the way her skin tasted and loved the trail of goosebumps her skin left behind each path she made. Hearing Callie's breath become more and more ragged with each path, Arizona dipped once again to Callie's dripping wet center, entering her swiftly with two fingers.

"Fuck, oh yes baby" Callie screamed with delight. She wasn't going to last long. She felt her arms begin to move on their own and grasp fistfuls of blonde hair. She needed something of Arizona to hold onto as her orgasm spilled all over Arizona.

Ragged breathing became more and more steady as Callie came down from her release. Arizona made her way back up the Latina's body, kissing every inch along the way, before once again, capturing waiting lips.

"That…" Callie was at a loss for words.

Arizona removed the blindfold, needing to see into those big brown eyes she loved so much. She placed a quick peck on her lips.

"I know" she said before laying her head in the crease of Callie's neck. She continued to run her fingers lightly overtop of Callie's breasts, skimming over each sensitive nipple.

Callie finally caught her breath and needed more. She needed to taste Arizona, make her experience everything she had just given her, every ounce of bliss. She quickly flipped them over so they were in reverse positions. She quickly tied the blindfold over Arizona's eyes and whispered "my turn" before starting their second round of lovemaking out of many more to come through the night.

 **A/N: Hope this chapter didn't disappoint! As always, your reviews mean the world to me! Thanks for reading!**

 **Songs: Settlin - Sugarland; Life is a Highway - Rascal Flatts; Summertime - Kenny Chesney**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hope this answers some questions! Enjoy!**

The soft glow from the fireplace illuminated a peaceful sleeping brunette's face just enough for Arizona to admire the satisfied expression of her sleeping form. Light danced across her naked body covered loosely by a single sheet and a small smile appeared across bruised lips. Facing the brunette perched up on her elbow, her eyes began to trace up and down Callie's gorgeous body, replaying the events from the night before. Yesterday was so much more than she imagined it would be, and ended with a cherry on top – literally. She had been up for about a half hour, admiring the soft, pulsing breaths from the most beautiful woman on the planet.

"You're staring" Callie's raspy voice managed to croak out after feeling blue eyes rake over her for what seemed like hours.

Arizona could do nothing but smile as the sleepy Latina struggled to keep her eyes closed. She had been caught red handed, but admiring Callie was worth every second. Taking full advantage of the naked flesh readily available, Arizona placed soft, wet kisses along her girlfriend's collar bone, ending on her bare shoulder.

Sleepy eyes finally popped open and captured the gaze of soft baby blues. There was a hint of fear in the eyes that Callie didn't miss for a second, but quickly ignored by brushing loose strands of blonde hair back behind Arizona's ear before placing a soft kiss on her exposed shoulder.

"You're still staring" she responded softly.

With a slight chuckle, Arizona responded, "I like the view."

"Mmmm I bet I know what else you like" Callie husked before pushing Arizona on to her back and claiming her lips once again. Loosening the grasp of the warm blanket wrapped around the one person captivating her mind every waking hour of the day, she finally revealed perky breasts she had been dreaming about for hours. Even after hours and hours of pure bliss the night before, Callie couldn't get enough. The sweetness of her skin mixed with the scent of sex filling the air seemed like the perfect way to start her morning. But before she could continue her quest of a morning dose of Arizona, gargling noises from the blondes tummy reminded both women about the lack of food consumed in the past twelve hours.

A small giggle fell from Arizona's lips before Callie had the chance of claiming them for their 'good morning' kiss. Pulling back from the kiss, another grumble was heard from the blonde.

"What do you have in there? A baby tiger?" Callie giggled before running her fingers across the toned flesh holding in the noises.

A playful smack was placed against Callie's shoulder before pushing Callie back onto her side to try and calm the beast hidden within her abdomen. "Ha. Ha. Very funny. I'm hungry."

"I do recall you having a lot to eat last night" Callie smirked seductively.

"I hardly count whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and my favorite meal of Calliope _actual_ food." An early dinner was had at the festival, but after a long night of extracurricular activities, energy was at an all-time low and food was at the top of the priority list.

Callie rolled over to try and locate her phone. She figured judging by the light attempting to shine through the living room blinds it was morning, but time became irrelevant at some point in the night.

"It's quarter to nine. How about we get dressed and I take you to breakfast." Callie rarely made it out of bed on the weekends this early for breakfast but when she did, she really enjoyed going to Hal's Diner just outside of Beaufort.

"Breakfast sounds perfect."

About an hour later, the couple slid into a booth at Hal's, Callie sliding in next to her girlfriend instead of sitting across from her. Even though they had just spent an entire day and night together, she couldn't get enough of feeling Arizona's skin against her own. Lacing their fingers together, the couple quickly read over the menu before a waitress took their orders. It wasn't long before two cups of piping hot coffee were placed in front of them and they began to talk about their busy week coming up.

"So I was thinking" Callie started before taking a quick sip of coffee.

"Calliope Torres, thinking?" the blonde joked before mirroring her girlfriends actions.

"Ha. Ha. Do you want to know what I was thinking about or not?" she glared.

Seeing the blonde smile and happily shake her head, Callie continued. "Yesterday was perfect. It was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. And I know that we haven't really been able to spend a lot of time like that together, with working on the cottage, you traveling back and forth to Boston plus trying to keep your own clinic here afloat, but I really want to try to make time to do things like that more often…maybe not with so many people, but almost like a planned date night. Once a week. Maybe more if there's time. But really have time set aside where we go out, or travel, or walk up and down the beach."

Arizona began to think about all of the running around they had been doing over the last month and realized Callie was right. Sure, there was a lot of things they didn't have control over, but one thing they could control was setting aside time to really be together. "I think that is a great idea" she smiled and leaned over for a quick peck on the lips anxiously awaiting a response.

Callie felt a new rush of excitement pulse through her veins. "I already have our next date in mind" she smiled and kissed waiting lips once again before they were interrupted once again by the waitress placing their food order in front of them. Callie watched as Arizona pour almost the entire bottle of syrup onto her pancakes before shaking her head and diving into her own plate of food. Comfortable silence quickly fell upon them.

Towards the end of their breakfast, the sharp ding of the bell against the diner door alerted the patrons that new guests had arrived. A sharp, piercing voice made goosebumps trail up the back of Arizona's neck when she heard her name fall from scathing lips.

"Well if it isn't Arizona Robbins and her flavor of the month" the voice echoed through the diner. Patrons surrounding the couple briefly glanced up to peak at the new guest but quickly returned their gaze towards their own meals, keeping their ears out for the town gossip. The guest trudged over to their table and leaned against the boot so that she was now directly in front of the couple.

"Wow, taking your hook up to breakfast I see? That's a new trick in your book, Robbins. No longer hit 'em and quit 'em? Or did I ruin the surprise for later?"

Callie immediately recognized the guest as the woman from the festival last night. Her snide comments about Arizona were quickly resurfacing and anger began to boil through her veins.

"Get the fuck away from me, Joanne."

Arizona suddenly felt small. Her heart was beating out of her chest and all she could think about was running out of the diner as fast as she could, but she was trapped in the booth by her girlfriend and eyes from surrounding patrons that were no longer trying to hide the fact they were listening.

"Oh baby, what happened to you? I remember you begging me to stay, not get away from you. Weren't you on your knees when that happened? Or I might be confused…you seemed to spend a lot of time on your knees, it's hard to keep track."

Callie's boiling point ruptured and quickly stood from her seat in the booth before coming face to face with woman throwing malicious remarks towards her girlfriend. She knew all eyes from the patrons in the diner were turned towards them at this point but she didn't care. No one offended her girlfriend like this and she was sure not about to stay around to fall into the obvious trap she was trying to lure her into.

"What the fuck is your problem? Apparently you didn't get the hint last night that I don't want to talk to you and by the tone of my girlfriend's voice, neither does she. Apparently you can't hear, but my girlfriend asked you to stay the fuck away from her. And me too while you're at it." Callie turned her back from the smug looking woman and focused her attention back on Arizona while she scooted out of the booth behind her. Catching a glimpse of hurt and embarrassment in Arizona's eyes, Callie's heart broke. She quickly threw money down on the table and led Arizona towards the door.

"I'm just trying to look out for you. You're playing with fire dating that one. If fucking you is called dating. Did she tell you she loved you yet? Promise you would be together forever? Is she sleeping around on you yet?"

Callie could barely hear the words dripping with hate from the woman's lips as she quickly followed Arizona out the door and over to the parking lot towards her car. She knew the woman was trying to get a rise out of them and she was not about to let it get to her.

Arizona on the other hand was a different story. She couldn't help that every time she was near Joann, doubt boiled back into her mind. Joanne made her feel worthless, self-conscious, and disgusting.

They quickly got into the car and Callie drove out of the parking lot towards the town. Chancing a look at Arizona, she saw defeat. She was gazing out the car window, resting her forehead on the cool glass. Tears were unable to be hidden and a slight tremble of adrenaline was visibly seen rushing through her veins.

Callie pulled the car over at the closest, safe spot she could and parked the car at the very entrance Callie first pulled into Beaufort almost four months ago.

"Take me home Callie" Arizona meekly whispered against the glass.

"Arizona, talk to me" Callie whispered. "You don't have to defend anything that horrid woman said, but I want my girlfriend to talk to me." Callie chanced resting her hand on the forearm that was holding Arizona's head up. Before letting Arizona's thoughts get the best of her, she quickly got out of the car, race around to the passenger side, and pulled Arizona out of the car and into a tight embrace.

"Let go of me Callie" she gritted her teeth, fighting to break free of Callie's arms, failing miserably. The truth was, feeling Callie's arms wrapped around her washed a calming feeling over her body. She felt her heart rate slow by the second and the sound of her blood pumping in her ears dissipates.

"Shhhh, it's okay sweetie. I'm right here" she whispered over again over again, soothing her girlfriend. After what seemed like hours, she finally felt her girlfriend relax in her arms. At the change in expression, she chanced attempting to meet Arizona's gaze. She quickly wiped matted blonde hair out her face to reveal tear-ridden cheeks and puffy red eyes.

"Oh sweetie. Don't let her get to you like that. This is exactly the type of reaction those types of people try to get from saying stupid things like that."

Sniffling, Arizona finally met Callie's gaze. Looking into her eyes, there was no judgment. Just trust, devotion, and love.

Arizona was confused. Callie had not reacted to Joanne's crude words as she expected. Any of the other woman she dated ran the opposite direction when they ran into the wrath of Joanne, but Callie was different. She stayed right by her side and through her own feelings and thoughts out the window. She had actually expected Callie to have asked about 'her' already after seeing them talking at the festival, but instead, continued making her feel safe by pulling her in closer. Gathering up the courage, she finally started the conversation she was putting off having.

"I am so sorry Calliope" she started, immediately dropping her gaze after apologizing only to have her chin raised again and a soft kiss placed against her lips.

"Arizona, you have nothing to be sorry about. And you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. She obviously has some sort of vendetta against you. With people like that and how she was attacking you, I know she was just trying to hurt you."

Silence once again fell between the couple as Callie just held Arizona against her chest, lightly stroking blonde locks that were falling down her slumped shoulders. Arizona was running ever scenario through her head, everything that had played out with Joanne showing up over the last two days. She was confused by Callie's reaction because she had never experienced support in this situation before.

"So?"

Puzzled, Callie loosened her grip just slightly to be able to look at Arizona's eyes, but instead of finding baby blues staring back at her, they were fixated on her necklace. She didn't care, as long as she was talking.

"So what?"

"Is there anything you would like to ask me?" Arizona was holding her breath.

Uncomfortable silence began to creep in. Truth be told, Joanne certainly led Callie to believe there was some kind of history between her and Arizona but never actually had the chance to go into details. In the past, Callie would have turned into a jealous three-headed monster, but ever since fleeing Seattle, she embraced a new way of life and started building a wonderful relationship with the beautiful woman in her arms.

"Yesterday, she didn't even get a chance to give me her name before I walked away from her so I'm not even sure what to ask, honey. And today, that was nothing but pure spite and hate." She kissed Arizona's temple, directly over her scar, as a sign of love and trust. "We all have a past. What I care about is the future."

A wave of relief flashed before her eyes. Not that she wanted to hide anything, it was just that she didn't want the lies surrounding Joanne's head to be the truth that Callie accepts. Arizona wiggled out of Callie's embrace and started pulling her down the path and onto the beach. The crisp air was refreshing and exactly what Arizona needed to clear her mind before continuing this much needed conversation with Callie. Taking a seat near the water's edge, she felt Callie wrap her arm around her shoulders.

"We dated a little through the end of high school and broke up when we went to college. She went to Duke while I went to John's Hopkins before finally ending up in Boston to finish my residency with Addison. We ran into each other one night at Joe's when we both came home for winter break and started dating again. Things really became serious when she moved to Boston to live with me."

Pausing before continuing, she took another deep breath. "I was so stupid and left myself vulnerable. I let myself become happy. And at one point, towards the end, I actually thought she might be the one. It seemed like everything was going great. Until it wasn't."

Hearing Arizona describe her past relationship with this Joanne woman was a tough pill to swallow. The thought of another woman touching, kissing, loving her Arizona sent a fire of anger into the pit of her stomach, but again, she knew everyone had a past. Hell, hers could come back to bite her in the ass any day now. She couldn't become jealous of something that happened so long ago. Sensing her hesitation, Callie quickly took Arizona's hand in hers, kissed the back of it, before intertwining their fingers together.

"You don't have to, Arizona."

With a finger against her chin raising her face to become parallel with the woman across from her, Arizona finally met Callie's brown eyes. Those brown eyes were filled with comfort and love. Something Arizona had only felt around Callie. Joanne never made her feel this way, nor any of the others.

"It was Valentine's day. We spent the entire day doing one of those progressive dinners. You know the ones where you have a drink at one place, then go to another place for appetizers, so on and so forth."

Callie simply nodded her head.

"Well we came back home" Arizona closed her eyes, embarrassed to be telling her current girlfriend about having sex with her past girlfriend, but needed to finish the story. "Had, _dessert_ and when we were just about to fall asleep, she got out of bed, and walked into the living room without a word. I guess she didn't realize I was awake or whatever, but after a few minutes of shuffling around, I heard the front door click shut."

A lone tear escaped her eye. It wasn't for sadness, it was for anger, range, resentment. It was quickly wiped away by Callie's thumb before she crawled around behind the blonde and pulled her against her chest.

Leaning against Callie, she shut her eyes, taking in the warm embrace around her. "I was sure she had just stepped outside to maybe run to the store or pick something up. I laid there staring at the ceiling for what seemed like hours before making my way into the living room. On the back of a napkin was the word 'sorry' left on the kitchen counter. The next morning, a moving company stopped by to get all of her stuff."

Silence filled the space between Arizona and Callie. Callie was trying to process everything she just heard. _Ghosted. Who would do such a thing to such a wonderful, beautiful, smart person. And how she did it was even worse._ Before Callie could respond, Arizona continued.

"A week later, Tim died. I was devastated. Everything around me seemed to be crumbling by the minute. If it wasn't for Addison and Grandma Bernie, I don't know who I would be today. They put up with all my shit when I started acting out. It wasn't until years later that I realized they gave me just enough space to still be able to keep an eye on me. But I made a lot of mistakes during that time. Hurt a lot of people. I didn't realize it, but it was me who was hurting."

"Joanne appeared at my door one cold, snowy day, almost two years later. I was shocked to say the least. I hadn't heard from her since the night she left. She rambled on and on about how she made a mistake and she wanted me back. She even got down on one knee and proposed" she said almost in amusement. "The girl I was with at the time appeared in the background of my apartment and Joanne started yelling at me, saying I was a cheating whore and that I was, and I think I could quote her words exactly, 'too broken to be able to be loved by anyone.' Without even so much as a good bye, she got up and left again. From that day forward, she made it her business to trash my name to anyone and everyone around Beaufort, Boston, hell I went to Philly once and someone knew about me. Every time I run into her, whether it be on a date, with a friend, or even with my grandma, she makes a point to let that person know of all of the terrible things she things I did. It took a long time to get my reputation back. And to think, this all started when she walked out on me."

Taking a deep breath before finishing, "Yesterday, when I saw you standing with her at the festival, I was afraid you would hear the demented version of the story she tells and be scared off. She tells it much differently. Something about me pining for her, me cheating on her with all of Boston, how I am damaged goods, how no one could ever love me again. For a while there, I thought maybe it was true. But I really have grown and accepted what actually happened versus what stories she has out there. And when I saw you disappear from the deck yesterday, my heart sank. For a minute, I thought my worst fears came true."

Focusing her attention back on Callie, she looked deep in her eyes. "For a minute there, Joanne flashbacks resurfaced, but were quickly wiped away when I saw you front and center of the stage with the biggest smile on your face."

Callie placed a quick kiss on Arizona's lips once again before she continued.

"Today at the diner, I thought for sure you would have doubt, or think different of me. This isn't the first time this has happened and I'm sure it won't be the last, but each time, it hasn't turned out in my favor."

"Well this time is different, Arizona, because I meant what I said at the cottage. I'm not going anywhere. I know that the love we share is different. You make me feel something that no one else has ever made me feel. I know what we have is real and no one is ever going to take that away from us. So what if some home wrecker wants to try to start something. Let her. Because, I will be the first one to stand up and defend you every day of my life."

A smile finally broke on trembling pink lips and love was filling blue eyes back up. Arizona's heart was racing, but in a good way.

"Callie, it wasn't until I met you that I realized I was never was actually in love with Joanne. I spent a lot of time thinking that everything she said was true. Sure, she was my first serious girlfriend, but it wasn't love. The love I thought I had for her doesn't stand a chance against the love I have for you. She never made my heart race or butterflies go crazy in my stomach. She's never made me so nervous about what to wear or where to take her on a date. She's never made me feel so loved and cared for. Only you have been able to do that, Calliope."

"And I plan on continuing to be that person for you every day, as long as you'll have me. I am in this, Arizona. Joanne will never change the way I feel about you."

Callie quickly leaned in and kissed soft lips before whispering "I love you" getting "I love you too" in return.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N - Thanks for letting me know Chapter 12 was corrupt. Not sure what happened there but I hope this fixes it and its easier to read!**

Water dances across warm brown sand as wave after wave approaches the shore, leaving a trail of foam in its wake. Tiny bubbles form together to create a solid line. Arizona watches the foam path that was once etched so perfectly in the sand take on a new pattern as each new wave drifts through. Sometimes old foam collects with new foam to create a stronger, more prominent path, while other times, a wave is so strong that it completely wipes out any remaining foam that was left in smaller wave's wake. The aftermath of the roaring tide still leaves faint lines of the trails that used to cover the sand, but overtime, they disappear as if they were never there. It's almost as if the world is producing a metaphor right in front of her eyes.

The mundane, aimless path she was blazing almost three months ago washed away when a beautiful Latina Goddess drifted through her town of Beaufort. Memories and pain still float to the surface now and again, which was certainly evident of today, but are quickly erased through loving arms and a supportive embrace.

This morning was far from what Arizona had planned. After waking up tangled in the grasp of a beautiful brunette, breakfast and a lazy Sunday was all that was on the horizon. She certainly didn't expect to be face to face with her she-devil of an ex-girlfriend and she certainly didn't expect Callie to react the way she did. She might have just found the tide that is strong enough to erase all of the lines from her past.

For what seemed like hours, Callie continued to hold Arizona in a tight embrace, her back resting against Callie's front. Silence filled the air, nothing left needing to be said. Every once in a while she would trace small, slow patterns on Arizona's arm or thigh letting her know she was still there. The words confessed between them were powerful, almost binding and yet, neither woman flinched at the promise.

"What's going on in that pretty head of yours?" Callie asks before placing a warm kiss on Arizona's scar.

The silent bubble that had formed between them had finally popped and reality started to drift back in. Only this time, reality was peaceful.

Arizona let out a deep breath, giving her an extra few seconds to think, before responding. "Honestly? Nothing. Not a single thing is going through my mind. And that, Calliope, is a first" she giggled leaning back into Callie's embrace.

Callie tucked a few loose strands of blonde hair behind her girlfriend's ear before placing a soft kiss on the pulse point behind her ear. "Nothing is good, my love."

After spending another hour at the beach, Callie dropped Arizona off at her house so that she could pack and get ready for her trip to Boston. This was her last planned trip to finish up the case with Addison. It was a short turn around and she would be back on Wednesday night so they could spend Thanksgiving with Grandma Bernie on Thursday.

The buzzing of her cellphone was perfectly timed with zipping up her suitcase, signaling the start of the rest of her evening.

"Mmm I've missed you" she answered, knowing it was the one person she was longing to see.

The Latina responded with a throaty chuckle, "I've missed you too. Even though it's only been…" she paused checking the time "…three hours!"

"Is that it? Seems like weeks" she giggled in return. "So what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call? Not that I mind in any way." Arizona was beaming with joy. They had agreed to part ways tonight, Arizona had to prepare for Boston and Callie had ignored the mass amount of chores that had been piling up, laundry at the top of her list.

"Well I have to go into town to do some grocery shopping, and I know you don't have food in your house, so I thought, I don't know, maybe I could bring you dinner? I won't stay, I just, I thought you could eat something besides peanut butter and jelly" she nervously laughed. Truth was, she just wanted an excuse to see the blonde before spending three long nights away from her.

"Come with me."

Surprised at Arizona's response, Callie hesitated.

"I am only going to tie up a few loose ends so I will have much more free time this trip. Come with me. And Addison just told me about a Friendsgiving event she wants me to go to. You could be my date!"

Arizona held her breath. Silence filled the air and she bit her lip anxiously awaiting a response.

"What time is our flight?" Callie smiled so big her face actually hurt.

About an hour later, Callie was packed and ready to go. She booked her flight, picked up Chinese food instead of going grocery shopping, and made her way over to Arizona's for the night. They spent the evening curled up in each other's arms watching a movie. Morning came quickly and before they knew it, they were waiting in-line to board their flight to Boston.

Arizona felt Callie wrap her arms around her from behind, pulling her flush against her front, running her strong hands the length of the blonde's torso. Her touch and the curve of Callie's perfect breasts made Arizona shiver with want.

"Mmm you better be able to control yourself, Doctor Torres, or you might just find yourself in the Mile-High club" Arizona husked into Callie's ear.

"I guess that's where we will have to meet since we didn't get seats together" Callie slightly pouted.

Arizona turned around in the Latina's arms and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear.

"Hey, you better turn that front upside down. I'm sure we can find someone to switch with us."

Callie smiled down and pulled Arizona into a long kiss. Before long, the passenger behind them cleared his throat signaling it was their time to give the attendant their tickets.

Callie took her seat in the back of the plane while, Arizona stopped about halfway back.

"Hey, my girlfriend booked her ticket last minute and wasn't able to sit next to me. Would you be willing to switch?"

The man sitting beside her grunted before putting headphones in his ears and looked out the window.

 _I guess that's a no. Asshole._

Arizona waited as more and more passengers boarded the plane. She was sure someone was going to take the aisle seat, but when no one came, she started getting excited at the thought of Callie being able to sit next to her. Right before the flight attendant closed the plane door, a woman with dark hair and legs that went on for miles rushed in. The tight, leather skirt highlighted every curve in the woman's body. She couldn't help but stare and take in the woman's features. It was almost like a free show was taking place. Awkwardly making eye contact with the woman, Arizona immediately jutted her eyes to the back of the seat in front of her. She pulled out the safety pamphlet sticking out of the seatback pocket and read the same passage about water evacuations twenty times.

Three months ago, the sexy brunette would have been fair game, and Arizona was sure she would have won. But now, she was madly in love with Callie. Sure, she still found other woman attractive, and it was much simpler having no-strings-attached sex, but Callie was more than just a one-time thing. She was everything.

Hearing the woman clear her throat, she looked up and saw deep blue-green eyes staring back at her.

"This is me" she smiled before sliding into the seat next to Arizona.

Arizona smiled and gently nodded before re-focusing her attention back to the water evacuation section of the safety car. Continuing to read the words, but not understanding a single thing on the card, Arizona could have sworn the temperature in the cabin raised at least twenty degrees. She started using the pamphlet now as a fan, pulling her hair up in the process.

The woman was settled in only a few minutes and the jolt of the plane backing away from the gate sent a flurry of nerves into the pit of Arizona's stomach. The pamphlet now was directed towards her leg and the tapping of her fingers onto the card caught the woman's attention more than it already was.

"First time flying?"

"What? Oh, uh, no. No I fly a lot. Don't necessarily like to fly, but I do fly a lot." Arizona's leg was now pulsing up and down. Take off was the worst part and if Arizona focused on something else or talked to someone next to her, she was normally able to calm her nerves. But the asshole on her left, the sexy woman on her right, and Callie ten rows back did anything but that.

She felt a firm, but soft hand put pressure on her bouncing knee, causing her eyes to snap up to the woman staring back at her. Her eyes were seductive, almost dangerously seductive and her skin was soft as silk. Realizing her hand was only inches from her center, she quickly removed it, gave her a tight smile, and took a deep breath. _Stop, Arizona. What is wrong with you?_

"Eliza."

 _Of course you are_ Arizona said to herself before swallowing the lump in her throat.

With a small smile and blush that involuntarily spread onto her cheeks, she simply replied "Arizona" without making eye contact.

"Arizona huh? What a beautiful name." Realizing Arizona was trying to play the silent treatment, she continued trying to open up a conversation. "Are you named after the battleship?"

Arizona looked at her in shock. No one ever started with that line of questioning. It was always "Are you named after the state?" or "wow, you must have really been made fun of as a kid." No one ever started asking about the battleship.

"How? What would make you think battleship and not state?" she replied.

"Just a lucky guess. I am a history buff so my mind immediately goes to matching things I hear with events in history. I was hoping you weren't named after the state" she laughed.

Arizona's guard immediately crumbled and conversation starting flowing much easier. Her stoic face was replaced with a smile that spread from ear to ear and a sparkle in her eye. She didn't even realize the plane reached 10,000 feet and passengers were free to move about the cabin.

"Hey, I tried to motion for you to come back" a voice from behind her snapped her out of mid conversation with Eliza.

Feeling like she just got caught doing something wrong, Arizona responded in a pitch slightly higher than she normally would. "Calliope! Oh, um…great. There's a seat?"

Callie could feel something was off, but she let it go, until the gorgeous woman sitting next to Arizona turned in her seat to look at her. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt" she snapped before quickly making her way back to hear seat. She stopped and looked at her seat before deciding to go all the way back to the restrooms. She quickly slipped inside and rested her head against the tiny mirror.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid" she said out loud, tapping her forehead lightly against the mirror. She did an excellent job hiding her jealousy with the Joanne incident, but seeing Arizona flirting with another woman right in front of her cause a flame to erupt inside. Callie closed the lid to the toilet and sat on top of it. She rubbed her temples and ran her palms down the length of her face. Before she had any time to think alone, she heard a light tapping against the door.

"Calliope, it's me. Please, let me in" Arizona whispered through the crack in the door.

Callie was so conflicted. On one hand, she wanted to continue fuming and letting the rage building inside thicken, but on the other hand, she couldn't imagine her life without Arizona. How Callie used to handle these types of situations became her MO. She would get jealous, start a fight over something stupid, and she would be the one hurt in the end. Not talking about her feelings would only lead them down the same path she swore she would never travel again.

Briefly standing up from her seat, she clicked open the lock and Arizona squeeze inside. She remained seated and dropped her gaze into her lap.

"Calliope, look at me" Arizona whispered. When Callie's eyes rose to meet Arizona's it was apparent that tears had started to form in the light brown orbs staring back at her. A few single tear drops had fallen but Callie's exterior was rock solid, mixed with sadness and anger.

Before she could stop herself, she snapped "I'm sorry. This is my fault. I shouldn't have come up to see if you wanted to sit with me. I mean, if you wanted to, you would have come back when the seatbelt sign was off, but obviously you were more interested in having someone else occupy your time. What was I thinking?" she responded sarcastically. She couldn't help it. She was angry and she needed Arizona to hear it.

"Calliope. Stop. Okay? Look, I'm sorry. You're right. I should have come back right away, but I didn't even realize we were able to move around the cabin." She paused, checking Callie's expression for signs of her shell softening, but so far, nothing yet. Taking Callie's folded hands into her own, she continued. "I get really nervous during take-off and landing. That's why I always sit in the middle seat. I have two options of people to talk to so that I can be distracted. Please believe me when I say there was no one else I would rather have been talking to then you. She even offered to switch seats so that we could sit together once we were able to."

Arizona immediately felt Callie's body soften and her eyes capture her own once again.

"Really?" Callie felt so stupid to over react in such a way that made not only Arizona embarrassed, but Callie as well.

"Really." Arizona tucked a strand of loose locks behind the brunette's ear before placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. "There could never be anyone else but you, Calliope. I don't intend on ruining that" she responded seriously.

Callie quickly stood and hungrily pressed her lips into her girlfriend. It was almost as if Callie was claiming her, but Arizona didn't care. She was happy to be claimed by the gorgeous Latina. In the tight space, Arizona was already pressed flushed between the restroom door and the front of her girlfriend, a fire building between her legs. Callie's lips begrudgingly leave Arizona's lips and begin to pepper kisses across Arizona's exposed neck. Callie pulls at the material of Arizona's shirt, exposing the top part of the blonde's arm. Teeth gently sink into her shoulder before a smooth tongue licks away the burning sensation from the bite.

"Callie…" she pants at the feel of Callie's hands running the entire length of her body. Knowing they didn't have much time, Callie made quick work of Arizona's black skin-tight jeans, pushing them as far down her legs as they would go, her panties right along with it. Sitting back down, she was now eye level with Arizona's glistening slit, the smell of her arousal baiting her to dive right in. "Touch me, Callie" Arizona pleads. Not needing to be told twice, Callie thrusts two fingers inside Arizona's waiting center and runs her tongue the entire length of her slit.

"Oh God, Callie" Arizona pants at every swipe of the Latina's tongue against her. Callie takes her clit gently between her teeth, biting down softly before sucking to relieve the pain. Sweat begins to collect on both woman, the confined space acting like a sex-filled sauna. Arizona's arousal makes its way to her nostrils, knowing that Callie's is being concealed by tight fitting jeans.

Pulling the Latina up from her position, she works to undo her jeans. Callie never misses a beat and continues to thrust harder and deeper into Arizona's tight pussy. Slipping beneath the Latina's lacy underwear, she is quick to find a river of arousal pooling at her center. Pulling Callie's jeans down even further, she's finally able to line up her approach and plunge deep within Callie. A moan escapes the Latina and the pair work into a rhythm that allows pleasure to be matched thrust for thrust. "You are so wet…" Arizona growls, her hands grasping onto the back of Callie's leather jacket to keep from slamming against the restroom door. She is sure that whoever is outside of the small confined space knows exactly what's going on, but that doesn't stop her from ravishing the glowing woman in her arms.

Callie's forearm starts to burn, but she pushes through, knowing both are close to their release. "Fuck…Arizona" and without needing to hear the rest of her sentence, Arizona moans, "me too" as both woman's release mirror's the other's.

The smell of sex has now overpowered the sauna-like space and both women share a tight embrace as they come down from their release. Heavy breathing and a low humming sound from the airplane fill the air.

"Wow, just, wow" Arizona giggles, capturing Callie's lips once again.

"I thing we earned our wings today" Callie laughed as she started readjusting her outfit.

"Oh we definitely earned our wings" she replied. "Now I guess we have to go take part of the walk-of-shame" she said smirking, wiggling her eyebrows before placing one last kiss on her girlfriend's waiting lips.

Slipping out the restroom door, she was met face to face with an airline attendant that did not look too pleased. Callie awkwardly left the restroom right behind Arizona, bumping into the back of her.

"Oh, uh. I'm sorry, we were just heading back to our seats" she cleared her throat and tried to slip past the attendant.

"You know having sex on an airplane is illegal" the attendant hissed looking at the two disheveled women.

"Uh, we…we weren't having sex" Arizona played pointing between the two women. "Uh…she had something in her eye, and uh…I had to help her out. See, I'm a doctor and… you know it's a really funny story actually."

Before she had the chance to say anything else, the attendant raised her hand and sharply said "save it. And get back to your seats. Wouldn't want anyone else to catch that 'eye-infection' of yours." Without so much as another word, they quickly brushed past her and took the two open seats where Callie was originally sitting.

"That was close" Arizona laughed and leaned her head on Callie's shoulder. On the way back to finding Callie in the restroom, Arizona had dropped her stuff off at her new seat so everything was waiting for her. Only 45 minutes remained in their flight and she was sure ready to be back on solid ground.

A few hours later, Arizona dropped Callie off at their hotel and made her way to the medical center to meet Addison. She was excited to finally wrap up the case and transition it to a new attending now that the patient was stable. Before she even had a chance to walk through the doors of the medical center, she heard Addison call her name. Firing off one more text to Callie, she looked up to find Addison and a familiar set of blue-green eyes staring back at her. Her mouth dropped, palms started to sweat, and her heart beat out of her chest.

"Eliza?"

Smiling back, Eliza outstretched her hand, "Arizona. So nice to see you again."

"Oh, you two know each other?"

Arizona snapped her hand back from Eliza's grasp. The familiar tingle of her touch still resonating on her skin. _This cannot be happening._

"Just met" Eliza responded smiling back at both Addison and Arizona who were now staring at each other.

"Dr. Minnick will be the attending taking over your case."

 **A/N: Dun Dun Dun… Arizona sparked a connection with a stranger on the plane that just so happens to be working with her all week – will there be trouble in paradise or will things work out as planned? Will Callie be able to keep her jealousy at bay or will her past relationship troubles come back to haunt her? Next up – a few days in Boston then back to Beaufort for Thanksgiving. As always, thanks for the reviews!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Sorry for the delayed update! Last we left off, Arizona was face to face with Dr. Minnick. Hope you enjoy!**

Silence. Pure, total silence filled the hall. _Dr. Minnick will be the attending taking over your case_ rang through her ears as if someone pushed a repeat button over and over again. It wasn't that the woman bothered Arizona. No, she had gotten over her ten second crush the second the image of her beautiful girlfriend popped into her mind. It was Callie she was worried about.

Clearing her throat, she finally spoke after what seemed like hours of silence. "Dr. Minnick, what a pleasant surprise" Arizona beamed one of her fakest smiles she could muster up. Truth is, she was dying on the inside, knowing that Callie had been through a lot of her past drama this week and she wasn't sure how much more her girlfriend could take. Joanne was enough to deal with and now she was face to face with a green eyed monster, threatening to break into her bubble. She would never let anything happen between her and Minnick, but that doesn't mean Callie would see it that way. This was supposed to be a fun trip, one where Callie would be able to meet some of her friends in Boston, have some alone time before the holidays, and yet, something so innocent as sitting next to someone on the airplane turned into a cesspool of drama that didn't even need to happen.

Seeing the color change in Eliza's eyes sent shivers down her spine. Blue, green turned almost a deep grey. A stalemate of silence continued to build between the small group of surgeons, two in particular jockeying for the upper hand until Addison finally spoke.

"Wait, how do you two know each other?" Addison piped up, acting as the knife cutting the tension that was forming between the two opposing surgeons, causing Arizona to finally break Eliza's deep gaze.

"We sat next to each other on the plane this morning" Arizona responded, focusing her attention back to Addison, as if Eliza didn't exist. She knew the type of woman Eliza was because she used to be one of them herself. One that would never give up on a challenge, go after things she couldn't have. But the one thing she knew she had to do was be stern, strong, and definitely keep every door shut as much as possible. The second Arizona slips is the second she becomes vulnerable, and Eliza knew it. She was just waiting for the right time.

"Didn't Callie come with you?" Addison responded with a questioning look.

"She did. We didn't get seats next to each other due to the late booking of Callie's ticket so we had to sit apart until the fasten seatbelt sign was off. The person next to Callie didn't show so I ended up moving back to sit with her for the remainder of the flight."

"Yeah, that was right before she looked like she was going to rip my head off" Eliza chuckled and turned her attention back to the case. "So what's the plan for today?"

Raising an eye brow and sending Arizona a questioning look, Addison could tell there was more to the story, but they needed to get started on planning the transition. "Right, so I set up Grand Rounds for early afternoon so that the residents can all be briefed on the case. Dr. Robbins, if you could spend some time this morning reviewing the case, introducing Dr. Minnick to the patient and his family, and answer any questions she might have, that would be a great start."

"How long are you going to be my partner, Dr. Robbins?" Eliza asked. Both Addison and Arizona didn't miss the seduction in her voice but chose to continue to act professionally so they could transition quick and painlessly. If Arizona had a say, she would get everything done today and spend the next two days with Callie exploring Boston, but they had to prepare for one final surgery on Tuesday and post-op recover for Wednesday morning.

" _Callie_ and I will be gone Wednesday evening. I have a plan ready to go to maximize our time and make this a smooth transition." She made sure to put a little extra emphasis on the word Callie to make a point.

"Great. Well we better get started so we can, what did you call it, maximize our time together?" she winked.

At the sound of a loud beeping sound coming from the pager on Addison's hip, she left the two newly acquainted surgeons awkwardly standing in the middle of the hall. Arizona cleared her throat and led Eliza into the office she had been using over the last few months. Hearing the door shut behind her Arizona turned around to see Eliza was now standing between her and the only way out of the office.

"Oh, you can leave it open, Dr. Minnick, we won't be in here long."

"Dr. Minnick? A few hours ago it was Eliza" she responded leaning against the door.

"Yeah? Well a few hours ago I didn't know you would be taking over my case and I certainly didn't think I would be spending three days with you reviewing case files." Arizona once again felt the temperature of the room spike and her palms begin to sweat. There was something about this woman that got under her skin and made her feel so much like her old self – the one night stand hit 'em and quit 'em kind of girl she used to be. Yet once again, one small image of Callie popped in her mind and that fire was immediately extinguished.

"You seem…disappointed?"

"No, not disappointed. I just…let's just get started, shall we?"

Eliza smirked at the uncomfortable demeanor that has taken over Arizona's psyche, nodded her head, and started listening to Arizona.

Sitting down at the desk with her back to Minnick, she started flipping through the patient's chart. "Tommy Brown, 6 years old. Osteomalacia due to Malabsorption. One of the worst cases I have seen. The poor kid also has a history of Crohn's Disease. Status-post reduction by traction and internal rotation followed by fixation with a Dynamic Hip Screw. Had complications in the beginning with moderate sedation but we were able to use a nerve blocker to pinch the nerve at the location of the procedure. Plan for tomorrow is to check his labs, if they are within normal range, we will go ahead and remove the temporary nerve block we placed a few weeks ago."

By the end, silence filled the air. Feeling soft hands trace the top of her shoulders, ending in a massage.

"Why so tense?" Eliza whispered into her ear.

Realizing what was happening, she immediately darted up from her chair, face glowing with anger, and narrowed eyes that could kill.

"That is enough Dr. Minnick. Now, do you have any questions?" She was sure Eliza only caught every other word since the drool hanging out of her mouth spoke volumes to what she was thinking about instead.

"Hmmm?" Eliza responded, oblivious to the question.

"I said, do you have any questions Dr. Minnick?" she responded, a little sharper than she meant.

"Nothing work appropriate" she smirked as she started walking towards Arizona, closing the distance between them.

Arizona rolled her eyes, before shutting the chart. "Good. Keep it work appropriate. Now, let's go meet Tommy." Arizona stood up and turned to walk out the door, but found herself face to face with Eliza. She needed to get out of the room and back into the general population stat if she was going to leave here without handcuffs because she was sure punching the woman standing in front of her was the next thing on the 'to do' list.

"You don't mean that. I saw the look in your eyes on the plane. You want me" she whispered, inching her lips closer and closer to Arizona.

Swallowing hard, Arizona took a step back, her knees hitting the edge of the desk. She ducked just in time to avoid Eliza's advance and took a few steps towards the door, all the while keeping Eliza in her sights.

"No, I do mean that, Dr. Minnick. And from here on out, I expect you to be nothing but work appropriate. That woman on the plane? She means the world to me. She is the love of my life. And she used to break bones for a living, so I suggest you stay the hell back" she snapped. "Now as I was saying Dr. Minnick, we have a little boy to meet and I suggest you wipe that frown off your face before I let Dr. Montgomery know your services will no longer be needed." Arizona tugged on the door a little harder than necessary and began her journey to Tommy's room.

Walking down the hall, Arizona made sure to stay busy looking over the labs and a few additional details from the case. The close call with Eliza certainly made her blood boil but the calming thoughts of night on the town with Callie continued to put her at ease. Feeling Eliza racing to catch up with her, she smiled slightly knowing that she now has the upper hand. Finally reaching Tommy's room, she introduced Dr. Minnick, went over a few procedural tasks with the family, and left her to continue establishing a relationship with the family.

Slipping into an on-call room, she quickly shut the door behind her and gathered her thoughts. The past 48 hours had been quite eventful. A lone tear slipped down her cheek and she buried her face in her hands. Thoughts of evil trying to slip its way back into her life. Realization hit her right in the face. She used to be Minnick, and the thought of what she did to so many women, so many relationships made her sick. Back then, it was mostly about the thrill of the chase for her, but there was something in Minnick's eyes that bore something much deeper, much more vindictive.

Since moving back to Beaufort, she spent a lot of time clawing her way out of her past life. It was mostly about finding herself again, becoming someone her parents and Tim would be proud of. Callie seemed to pull out the best of her, and she finally felt like her head was above water. She was determined to not let Minnick push her back under.

Feeling a rumble in her pocket, all of her troubles were gone when she open a text message from Callie. It was a picture of the brunette in front of Museum of Fine Arts and a simple message surrounded by hearts " **Wish you were here.** " Her signature dimpled smile, which seemed to be the biggest around Callie, officially replaced her frown.

 **"** **Miss you so much. Wish I was there with you. Crazy day, lot's to tell you. Can't wait to see you tonight** **J** **"**

The text from Callie was exactly what she needed to pick her head up and move on with her day, knowing that when it was over, a beautiful Latina Goddess would be waiting for her. Taking a step outside the on-call room, she surveyed her surroundings before making her way towards Addison's office. Peeking her head inside, she noticed it was empty, but a familiar laugh down the hall indicated her target was near. Making her way over towards the sound, she rounded the corner just in time to see Addison parting ways with another colleague.

"Arizona! I was just about to grab some lunch. Care to join?"

"Greasy cafeteria food? I'd love to" she played joining Addison on her quest for food.

"So…" Addison started.

"Stop. I know what you are about to ask and the answer is no."

"No you don't want a cheeseburger or…?" Addison teased knowing damn well she was playing with fire.

A sideways glare was all she gave the redhead before the pair made it onto the elevator, spotting those unwanted eyes staring back. Giving a more confident smile, she quickly turned to face the elevator doors, letting her enemy know she was unaffected by her charm.

She felt icy cold eyes burrowing a hole in the back of her head. If she stared any longer, she swore her eyes would fall out of their sockets, making Arizona giggle at the thought. Besides the giggle, the rest of the ride remained silent until a sharp ding let them know they had reached their destination. With the elevator doors closing behind them and Minnick nowhere to be found, Addison cleared her throat signaling it was time for Arizona to start talking.

With a sigh, Arizona finally conceded. "Let's grab our lunch and head back to your office. I have a few things I need to review with you anyway."

"…and…" Addison knew she was pushing but she needed to know. She barely had any time to talk about this mystery woman that randomly showed up I Arizona's life a few month back and then the awkward interaction with Dr. Minnick was causing questions they had no idea about.

Rolling her eyes, she conceded. "And I'll fill you in on what's going on."

Before long, the pair was seated at Addison's office conference table, making small talk about the weather and the upcoming Friendsgiving event. She could tell the anticipation of their upcoming conversation was killing her. At the end of every conversation, silence filled the air, followed by a knowing look that screamed 'just tell me already.' Taking a deep breath, she decided now was as good of a time as any.

"I love her Addison."

Immediately, the coffee that was threatening to fall down Addison's throat was sprayed across the table, a shocked expression plastered across the redhead's face.

"Did Arizona Robbins, the Arizona Robbins, the same person who said, and I quote 'love is for suckers' and 'I'm never going to fall into that trap' just say that she loved someone?"

Thinking back to the conversation she had when Addison tried pulling her out of her sex-binging days, it was true. She had alluded to the fact that love was not worth searching for, but here she was, knee deep in it and she was never letting go.

"Well first of all, I now need to change my shirt" she laughed, blotting the coffee that was dripping down her arm.

"Sorry about that, but jeez, Arizona. You need to warn a girl before you are going to say stuff like that."

A laugh rang deep from within her and her dimpled smile was at full attention. Just thinking about Calliope made her heart race and she couldn't hold it in any more.

"Well prepare yourself now, because what I am about to tell you will bring a risk for more coffee spraying out of your mouth" she said as she removed the cup from her friend's tight grasp. Sensing a small pout forming, she quickly continued telling her about Callie.

"I have never felt this way about anyone. I find her breathtaking, miraculously stunning. When I'm with her, my whole world stops. And when I'm without her, I want nothing more than to be with her. When we first started dating, she asked me if I thought life had a plan for people. I keep thinking back to that conversation. She's the first person I told, other than you really, about my family, Timmy, my life. And I did it with ease. I've never felt so free, so supported as I do when I'm with her. And if life does have a plan, I hope it involves her for the rest of my life."

"And this weekend, she found out about Joanne." Arizona paused to take in the expression on Addison's face. Pure shock was written across it, her eyes wide with surprise. "She stayed. She stayed, and supported me, and even stood up for me." Tears were now threatening to escape her piercing blue eyes. Not tears of sadness, tears of joy. "I love her, Addison."

Silence filling the air seemed to be a consistent theme over the last few days during ever conversation Arizona had with people. Whether it was good news, bad news, it didn't matter.

"Honestly? I never thought those three words would come out of your mouth" she smiled and pulled Arizona into a big bear hug. Pulling back from the embrace, both women had huge smiles on their faces.

"So, she's the one, huh?"

At Addison's question, Arizona stopped for a moment. She had stopped looking for _The One_ after Tim died. By Tim's standards, no one would have been good enough. Until Callie. Callie would have checked every box on Tim's approval list. If only he could be here to meet her. Butterflies swarmed her stomach and her signature dimpled smile spread across her face.

"Yeah, Addie, she's the one."

"Wow, I can't believe I have yet to meet her!"

"Well she will be coming to Friendsgiving as my date so you will get to meet her tomorrow! Tonight, she is planning some sort of Boston-adventure. Slightly scared since she has been wondering around the city all day by herself getting into God knows what" she joked, thinking about all of the silly pictures she had received from the Latina and a smile growing even wider knowing Callie was planning something nice for her.

"I'm really happy for you, Arizona. There's no one that deserves it more than you."

"Thanks Addie."

"But I do have to ask…"

 _There it is. I knew she couldn't just leave it at that._

"…Dr. Minnick…what's going on there?"

"Ugh…honestly, nothing."

Addison could tell there was more to the story so decided to push a little harder.

"Didn't seem like nothing."

"It's a long story that was blown way out of proportion this morning. When we first got on the plane, Callie and I had separate seats. I was trying to find someone to switch with so we could sit together and when no one came, I started getting excited. But right before the doors closed, Dr. Minnick hurried through the door, catching my attention and just about everyone in the front of the plane. My luck would have it, she ended up sitting next to me, who at the time I didn't realize was going to be working with me here."

Addison saw Arizona hesitate and furrowed her brow, pushing Arizona to continue.

"Was there a spark, a connection? Yes. For a brief moment. The moment I saw her I immediately turned back into the Arizona I was three months ago, ogling over the pretty woman that was coming towards me. This was the first time I had ever been in this situation where I couldn't just go for it. But honestly, one thought of Callie and the connection was gone. I wasn't even interested. She is the only person that has been able to consume my thoughts. She was the only one I wanted to be with."

"So what was with her comment about Callie staring her down or something like that?"

"Again, taken out of context. You know my fear of flying." It was a statement rather than a question. "The guy by the window was a real prick and she was there to talk to me while we were taking off. The conversation was innocent and I even asked if she would switch seats with Callie when the time came, which she actually agreed. Well I didn't realize the fasten seatbelt sign was off and Callie came up to see if I wanted to sit with her. Needless to say, she saw who I was talking with and didn't think I wanted to come back to sit with because I was distracted by Dr. Minnick."

"It wasn't until she saw me here that it became a game for her. Games like I used to play back in my 'Arizona's lost her mind' phase. She made a move on me, Addie and I nearly lost it. I couldn't believe that she would do something like that after she knew about Callie. But taking a moment before coming to see you, I realized I used to be her. And I knew exactly what she was trying to do."

It was all coming together for Addison. Minnick was trying to go after Arizona even though she knew she was with Callie. She would certainly keep her personality flaws in the back of her mind, especially since she now had to work with Minnick. As for Arizona, her confession of her love for Callie certainly spun her for a loop. She was expecting Arizona to have slept with Minnick or hurt Callie in some way, but she didn't. She was finally starting to see the Arizona she knew before Tim died.

"Did you work everything out with Callie? Is she still upset?"

"We definitely worked it out, if you know what I mean" she wiggled her eyebrows and smirked at Addison.

Softly backhanding Arizona's shoulder, Addison shook her head and scrunched her face. "I do not need images of your make-up sex with Callie running through my head. I haven't even met the woman so I don't want any preconceived ideas. Although if she makes you smile like this, I am already her number one fan."

"But I haven't told her about today, and the fact that she is here, working with me over the next few days" she sighed, picking at the label of Addison's coffee cup.

"Well if she loves you even half of how much you love her, then I think she will understand. It's not like you asked for any of this."

Before she had a chance to respond, a knock on the door signaled the end of their conversation. Addison rolled her eyes and lazily walked to answer the door.

"Ah Dr. Minnick. What a pleasant surprise" Addison greeted her guest and welcomed her into the office. "Is it time to head to grand rounds already?" she checked her watch and found that it was indeed time to start the second half of her day.

"It is. I figured we could all walk down together" she beamed a sultry smile, leaving her eyes linger a little longer at Arizona's cleavage, basically undressing her with her eyes. Focusing her attention back to the last few bites of her lunch, a buzz from her pocked signaled an incoming text message. Opening it, she saw another photo of Callie come across, posing next to a statue of Sam Adams, Callie mimicking his folded arms and serious face. Arizona let out a little giggle and continued texting her girlfriend back, before aimless following the surgeons down to the auditorium. She didn't see Minnick scowling in the background.

The rest of the afternoon flew by and before she knew it, grand rounds was over and dozens of promising surgeons began to scatter back to their busy schedules. Eliza and Addison stayed close to Arizona as she answered questions from a few of the residents so that they, too, could learn from the blonde. Wrapping up the session, she made her get-a-way when Eliza was busy fielding questions of her own.

A few more text messages were waiting for her of Callie strategically placed around the city of Boston, one in particular catching her eye of Callie posed next to a bouquet of peonies with a text saying "waiting for you" below. That woman knew all the right things to make Arizona's heart race, stomach flutter, and dimples etch into her smooth skin. She hurried back to the locker room to get changed and meet her girlfriend for what she hoped to be a perfect evening.

 **A/N: Minnick tried to stir the pot but Arizona was having nothing to do with it. Will this be the end of Minnick? What will Callie's reaction be when she finds out Minnick will be working with Arizona over the next few days? Next up, Callie has planned an evening for Arizona – will the evening go off without a hitch? As always, thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Thank you so much for the great feedback! It is so exciting to see that so many people are interested in this story and it really motivates me to make this the best that I know how! I hope you enjoy this chapter - I think it will start letting you see into Callie's past a little more.**

The cool crisp air of the beautiful Boston fall day filled Callie's lungs, generating more energy than even the largest cup of coffee could give. She was on a high after spending her first full day alone since arriving in Beaufort. Nothing was left to the imagination after exploring everything Boston had to offer, making special note of only the best options for her evening with Arizona. Leaning against the railing overlooking the Charles River, she thought back to her life in Seattle, silently chastising herself on how she used to perceive life. She held herself back from countless opportunities to see the world because she was afraid to do it alone. She also thought a lot about what other people thought of her which, again, held her back. She was at an all-time low during that point and it wasn't until she made the snap decision to uproot her life and make a change for the better that she really started living her life. Over the eight day car trip and the last few months with Arizona, Callie developed a true sense of peace and independence. Today, she walked the Freedom Trail, visited Paul Revere's house, did an instructor-led painting activity, walked past Fenway Park, ate lunch at a fancy restaurant, and walked part of the Harborwalk. These were all things she couldn't, no wouldn't do, during her old life in Seattle.

While exploring Boston was fun by herself, she would much rather spend it with a certain blonde hair, blue eyed bombshell she was longing to see. Their trip to Boston started off a bit rocky, but quickly recovered with some extracurricular activities and a planned date night tonight. Knowing Arizona had a busy day, she wanted to cheer her up by peppering her phone with small messages of love to make it feel like she was right by her side experiencing all Boston had to offer. Her heart swelled with joy because her girlfriend still took time out of her busy day to send her silly texts back. A little while ago, she picked up flowers at the corner stand, took one last picture, and sent it to Arizona, along with a time and place for their evening activities.

And here is where she stands, leaning against the railing, looking out into the icy blue waters, waiting for the love of her life. There was a familiarity to the way the water lapped against the wall below to the tide drifting in and out in Beaufort. Water seemed to be a constant theme in their relationship so she felt it was fitting to meet overlooking one of the most beautiful views of Boston.

"Hey stranger" a husky voice ghosted past her ear, strong arms wrapping firmly around her torso after running down her arms, circling her from behind. A megawatt smile plastered against her face as she felt the love transfer between their entangled bodies.

Remaining in her embrace, she turned and met sparkling blue eyes looking up at her. "Hey yourself" she smiled before leaning in, placing a soft kiss on waiting pink lips. Oh how she missed these lips all day. Sure her day had been great, but being with Arizona was even better. Immediately receiving access, she slipped her tongue softly against Arizona's, feeling her opponent fighting for dominance. Her hands wandered down her girlfriend's back gripping two handfuls of the blonde's ass. A whimper escaped her girlfriend's lips signaling her arousal starting to form. She smiled at the knowing effect she was having on the woman in her arms, but was time to stop before she got too carried away so she pulled back slightly, placing one last nip on bruised lips. Seeing a slight pout form on those lips that were held between her teeth only moments ago, she quickly brought the bouquet of peonies in between aroused bodies. "These are for you" she said, receiving the biggest dimpled smile she had ever seen.

"Calliope these are beautiful. How did you know they are my favorite?" she gasped in awe at her blushing girlfriend. They looked even better than the picture she had received only a short time ago. Thinking back to her past relationships, she couldn't remember a time when someone other than her brother or Grandma Bernie bought her flowers just because. This was new, and something she very much liked. She had always been the one to bring her girlfriends flowers, never to be reciprocated.

"Beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady" she responded, eyes glistening with love. "And a beautiful evening full of activities planned for a beautiful lady."

Arizona lifted her eyebrow in amusement. She was looking forward to spending the evening with Callie but didn't realize there was a whole itinerary to follow. She also looked down at her outfit and compared it to the formfitting black dress Callie was wearing. Her girlfriend looked stunning, but she couldn't help to feel underdressed.

"Do I need to change for this 'evening full of activities'" she questioned, a concerned look on her face.

"You look perfect my love." Loving the way her tight jeans hugged her hips in all the right places, she brought her hands that were resting on her hips and slid them into her back pockets, squeezing her perfect ass just right. She also caught a glimpse of black lace that was outlining her bra when she looked into the loose neck of her black sweater. High heels rounded out the outfit causing her ass to look divine. While she couldn't wait to experience everything she planned for Arizona tonight, seeing her in this outfit made her anxious to get back to their hotel room to take it off.

"Calliope, you are drooling" she giggled, pushing the Latina's chin up that was hanging open.

Clearing her throat, noticing that she was indeed staring down into her girlfriend's shirt, she stepped back slightly and outstretched her hand. "Right, uh, yeah. Um, I guess this is the part where we make our way to activity number one" she nervously laughed. She didn't mind that Arizona knew she was ogling over her but she also didn't normally do it in public. "Shall we?"

The pair walked hand in hand down the Harborwalk before ducking into the busy streets of Boston towards their destination. A comfortable silence fell between them, just enjoying being with each other. A slight breeze filled the air but it still was mostly warm for a fall November day. Arizona had spent a lot of time in Boston, yet never actually took time to explore the city. Her senses were on high alert, taking in the sights and smells of her surroundings. She spotted a food cart that she was dying to try on the corner and a large smile crossed her face.

"Is it okay if I add something into our date night?" she questioned.

Somehow she knew Arizona was up to something, but decided to see how this played out. "Of course. It is your date night after all" she simply replied.

Jumping up and down, she tugged on Callie's arm and led her to the opposite side of the street, dodging a taxi in the process. Blackbird Doughnuts was on her buck lists of places to try but never had the chance. She couldn't pass it up.

"We'll have two rainbow sprinkled doughnut vanilla ice cream sandwiches please" she told the attendant and smiled up at Callie, noticing her shocked face.

"Arizona, what about dinner?" she replied, slightly deflated, but trying to keep a happy face.

Arizona didn't miss the disappointment flash across the brunette's face, but quickly pecked her girlfriend's cheek and whispered in her ear "I figured we could have _actual_ dessert first, considering the only dessert I want to have later is you" she nipped at her ear before sending her a wink and paying for their doughnut ice cream sandwiches.

Callie swallowed hard. Her center immediately drenched hearing Arizona's sultry voice whisper naughty things into her ear in front of strangers. It wasn't something they were used to doing, especially around the gossip mill of Beaufort, but in Boston, they were free to show as much PDA as they could handle. And Callie was quickly realizing she wasn't sure how much she could take without needing to satisfy the craving between her legs.

Taking their first bite at the same time, both of their eyes got big, expressing their level of enjoyment mixed with shock on how delicious the doughnut sandwich tasted.

"This might actually be the best ice cream sandwich I have ever tasted in my life" Callie said with a mouthful of doughnut mixed with ice cream.

Arizona let out a small giggle and licked the ice cream that was smeared across caramel skin. "Mmmm, it tastes better when I lick it off you" she husked before skipping towards the other side of the street, leaving a flustered Latina trailing behind.

God, that woman was going to be the death of her. Callie could barely squeeze her legs tight enough to keep her pending orgasm at bay. She shook her head and started thinking about just about anything except for the bouncing blonde across the street. Waiting for traffic to clear, she finally made her way back to where Arizona was standing.

"Not nice" she teased, taking the last bite of her ice cream sandwich.

Finally making their way down the block, the ended at an old green and white building with gorgeous architecture etched throughout the pillars separating each window. Stepping inside, Arizona was amazed at her surroundings. Small, intimate tables with white table cloths lined the floor, twinkle lights hung perfectly from the ceiling, and the sound of a saxophone played through the air. In the back, a live band was playing jazz music, providing a fun atmosphere for their evening.

Walking up to the receptionist, Callie informed him of their reservations and in minutes they were seated in a corner private table.

"Calliope, this place is amazing. How did you find it?" she said in awe.

"You like it?" she asked nervously. She knew Arizona was into country music but she thought she would take a chance on this quaint jazz place.

"Calliope, I love it. Thank you" she leaned over and placed a kiss on a blushing caramel cheek.

A bottle of Beaujolais was ordered along with a sampling of just about everything on the appetizer menu: mussels, steak tartare, pork belly with goat cheese, and crispy calamari.

"So how was your day? Did you an Addison have fun?" Her smile was genuine, truly interested in how Arizona spent her day.

She didn't want to kill the mood, but before going any further in the evening, Arizona knew she needed to tell Callie the one thing that was eating at her. She wasn't sure how she was going to react, exactly, but it was now or never. She took a deep breath and thought to herself, _here goes nothing._

"It was good and bad" she started, immediately feeling Callie tense beside her. She must have had a look of terror on her face because she could tell Callie immediately picked up on her nerves.

"Oookay…" Callie could tell something was off. Something not quite right. She took a larger sip than normal of her wine before nodding for Arizona to continue.

"The woman on the plane. Apparently her name is Dr. Eliza Minnick."

Callie's body froze and silence fell between the two as the name fell off her tongue. She watched as Arizona's eyes dipped down to stare at a small red spot that had leaked from the wine bottle and onto the table cloth. _Dr. Minnick? What does that have anything to do with Arizona's day? She wondered to herself._

Feeling the anxiety thicken the air between them, Arizona knew she had to continue or the conversation wasn't going to end well.

"She is going to be doctor taking over my case." She swallowed hard, a lump forming in the middle of her throat. "Not only did I have to work with her this morning, but, she made a move on me today." The words trickling off her tongue sent a shiver down her spine, and not in a good way.

Chancing a glance up at her girlfriend, she saw brown eyes deepen to a darker shade. Not a shade that signaled love and lust, but one that was full of hate and anger. Even though she could tell Callie was mad, she remained silent, chewing on the side of her cheek, which might be even worse. Staying calm was something that Callie was trying to work on ever since she started working on her insecurities. Hearing the woman on the plane had a name was one thing, but knowing Arizona spent the day with her, _and_ she was hit on almost formed a bit of jealousy pulsing through her mind. She could only nod, and not respond.

"Calliope, please believe me when I say I didn't want it. In fact, the entire time, I kept reminding her of you and that she needed to remain professional. And when she tried to kiss me…"

Arizona was cut off before she could finish her sentence.

"She tried to kiss you?" Callie growled, a little louder than intended, but she didn't care. She despised what happened on the plane but was able to hold her emotions in and forget it ever happened. But the fact that she was faced with the same woman flirting with her girlfriend twice in one day was almost too much to take. She looked at Arizona's pleading eyes, begging to let her explain and continue, but she needed to step away from the situation so she didn't say anything she would regret. "Just…give me a minute okay?" she tentatively asked.

Arizona's heart sank as she watched Callie push her chair back and stand up. She simply nodded and closed her eyes, because if she said anything else, the flood gates would open and the tears in her eyes would start a flowing waterfall. Feeling a hand rest against her arm, she opened them, becoming face to face with soft brown ones.

"Arizona, I will be right back, I promise" she said. Placing a quick kiss against her forehead, she excused herself from the table and walked into the restroom.

Arizona brought both hands up and rubbed her temples in a circle pattern. _Oh my God this is not happening_ she thought as she watched Callie walk away. Glancing around the room, tables were filled with couples, friends, laughing, enjoying their evening, enjoying the atmosphere. _This is how our evening should be. Laughing, dancing, spending quality time with each other. Not worried about something that didn't even happen. Ugh, how did I let this happen, again._

Snapping her out of her thoughts, the cheerful waiter came over and brought out the appetizers and filled their water glasses. "I hope you are both having a wonderful evening. Would you like to order anything for dinner?" he asked, oblivious to the tension that was left hanging between the women.

 _Dinner_ she thought. _Hell, I'm not even sure she is coming back, let along wanting to still have dinner with me, or anything else she had planned for that matter. Damnit, why is this happening?_

Arizona looked up at the overzealous waiter and put on her best fake smile, even though she knew anyone that actually knew her wouldn't fall for it one bit.

"We're fine here, thank you."

"Are you sure? We have the best Duck Au Poivre or Braised Lamb?" he pushed once again.

Closing her eyes, she let out a sigh before responding. "I'm sure."

"Okay, well if you change your mind, please feel free to let me know. I will be checking back shortly" he chirped before leaving.

She placed her head in her hands and stared down once again at the nearly perfect white table cloth below her elbows. The night was starting off eerily similar to the night Joanne had left her, only this time, she felt like she was about to be ghosted without even making it through their first course.

Meanwhile in the ladies restroom, Callie was staring straight into her reflection staring back at her in the tiny mirror that hung above the vanity. _Breathe, Callie. Breathe._ As she stared deep into her own brown eyes, thoughts of the night Erica broke up with her came streaming back in her mind.

 _It was a cold, rainy night, three weeks, and the first day she was back to work, after the worst night of her life, the night Mark died. She had been waiting for her coffee when she saw Erica walking towards stairs that were destined to lead straight to her. A smile quickly formed on her face and warmth spread throughout her body. Over her time off, she barely saw Erica because she was busy at the hospital, but the moments she was able to spend a few hours with her, she made Callie feel a thousand times better. Erica just seemed to have this way to make Callie's sorrows melt away._

 _Right before Erica started down the stairs, a brunette nurse with a beautiful smile grabbed her arm, stopping her from going down. She watched as Erica turned around, an equally large smile spreading across her face and immediately starting into a light conversation. Not thinking anything of it, Callie turned her head to take her coffee from the barista before looking back up, catching the end of a kiss on Erica's cheek, symbolizing the end of the conversation. Callie quickly looked away, eyes wide at the thought of what she just saw. Before she had time to think, an awkward questioning "Callie" was called out from the bottom of the staircase._

 _"_ _Callie? What are you doing here?" Erica asked, clearly panicked at the thought of Callie seeing her interaction above._

 _"_ _Uh, I work here, remember?" she snapped back, walking away from the guilty blonde._

 _Erica quickly caught up with Callie before she had the chance to walk through the front doors of the hospital._

 _"_ _Callie, wait. It's not what you think. I would never cheat on you."_

 _"_ _Cheat? Who said anything about cheating? What the hell are you talking about?" Callie said, panic clear in her voice._

 _"_ _Can you lower your voice" she hissed, obviously embarrassed by what was occurring._

 _Callie rolled her eyes and headed through the front doors and out into the night, rain pelting her face._

 _Erica quickly caught up to her and grabbed her arm. "Callie, let me explain."_

 _Callie kept her back facing the blonde, unable to look her in the eye. Her father warned her about cheaters, saying "once a cheater, always a cheater." She couldn't believe that she would ever be faced with this situation, especially with Erica. But from what she saw, and Erica's quick reaction to bring up that topic, she was sure she was about to enter into web of cheating._

 _"_ _Callie, I'm not sure what you think you saw, but I really mean it. I would never cheat on you." Erica paused before she continued. "But that being said, someone else has caught my eye. You haven't really been around lately, and Stephanie asked me out on a date. At first, I wasn't interested, because I have you. But then, the last few weeks, you haven't really been yourself, and I don't think it's fair for me to have to wait around to see if you were going to become the Callie that I have been dating. So I told her that I needed to end it with you before we would do anything."_

 _Hearing Erica's selfish words, she quickly snapped around to look Erica straight on. She swore the rain was falling harder and harder, but she didn't care._

 _"_ _You what?" she yelled. "Fair? Fair? Let me tell you about fair. Do you think it was fair that you were barely there for me when I needed you the most? Do you think it's fair that you and I get to live, and Mark is dead? You think the last three weeks I have been just sitting on my couch eating bon bons? You think I haven't been around lately because I didn't want to? Christ, Erica, I was mourning my best friend. The friend, I killed. I killed him. And you think I haven't been around for you. How about, why haven't you been around for me, huh? The one time I needed you the most." Tears began to stream down her face, mixing in with the droplets of rain still falling. "I am sorry that I inconvenienced your new love interested because I was mourning my best friend."_

 _Erica immediately went into defensive mode. The tiger claws were out and she was hell bent on blaming Callie for the demise of her relationship. "Oh come on now Callie. We all know you didn't kill Mark. Stop playing the martyr."_

 _Erica's words hurt, but the fact that it made Callie challenge her feelings once again hurt even worse. Before Callie could say anything in response, Erica continued._

 _"_ _And best friend? I know you two were much more than that. What was he, again? Your fuck buddy? I see that even after he died, you still chose him over me."_

 _Callie's veins filled with rage. "Excuse me? What the hell are you talking about? Mark was my best friend. He has nothing to do with you and me."_

 _"_ _Oh please. He has everything to do with you and me. You have been so selfish, Callie. Do you want to talk about fair? Do you think it's fair to me that you are only kinda a lesbian? Do you think it's fair to me that I had to be in the middle of your daddy issues? Someone else is interested in me and is willing to be in this relationship 100% and she doesn't have the baggage you come with."_

 _Callie was silent. Erica's words confirmed it. Erica's interest in another woman was because she wasn't good enough. She wasn't a good enough lesbian and she wasn't able to give her girlfriend what she needed. Her biggest fear was coming true._

 _"_ _Sorry, Cal. You can't kinda be around for me and you can't kinda be a lesbian." With those final words, Erica disappeared out into the night._

Pulling her thoughts back into present time, she heard the bathroom door behind her squeak open and a pair of light footsteps entering the small space.

"Calliope" a small whisper came from behind her. After contemplating her actions and thinking about what had happened with Joanne, Arizona made it a point to not let history repeat itself, which is why Arizona decided to follow Callie into the restroom. She needed Callie to hear the whole story and only after, let her make her decision. "Please."

She wasn't expecting Arizona to follow her into the restroom, but the immediate presence of the blonde made all of her fears melt away and love reentered her mind. Without any further hesitation, she quickly turned around and in a flash had Arizona backed against the door, lips pressed firmly against the soft ones of her girlfriend. Needing to reconfirm their love for one another, she pressed her entire body into the woman she was pinning in between herself and the bathroom door. She was hanging on the edge of desperation and passion. Feeling two strong hands wrap around her torso, running along the length of her back before fisting handfuls of her dark hair confirmed Arizona had an equal amount of love and passion she was willing to give.

Breaking away from their kiss, Callie kept her forehead pressed against the blonde's, the sound of heavy breathing echoing through the small restroom.

"I'm sorry, Arizona. I freaked out. Can we start over?" Callie asked hesitantly. Even though the moment they just shared was bursting with love, she wasn't sure if she completely messed things up between them but disappearing.

"No Calliope. I don't want to start over because there is nothing to talk about. Yes, Dr. Minnick tried to kiss me but not only did I stop it, I also made it crystal clear that nothing was going to happen between her and me, ever. I am so madly in love with you Calliope, and I want to continue with our date, not talk about that stupid bitch. I'm sorry I ruined this part of the night."

A megawatt smile stretched across Callie's entire face. She could kick herself for even thinking this situation was going to turn out anything remotely similar to what happened with Erica. To seal the deal, she tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her girlfriend's ear and placed a soft kiss against her lips once again. "You didn't ruin anything, Arizona, I did. I should have let you finish, and instead, my insecurities ate at me and caused me to panic. I'm sorry for leaving you at the table. I did mean what I said, though, that I was coming back to you. I just needed a minute. I am still learning how to trust again, and with you, I don't want to mess this up."

"I don't want to mess this up either. What we have is so real, so good. No, not good, great. Believe it or not, I am still learning how to trust, too, and I felt like I couldn't keep something like that from you."

Callie let out a small laugh and pressed her head against Arizona's forehead once again. "I'm glad you told me and I am sorry about how everything just played out."

Thinking about their options for the rest of the night, Callie got a new idea in her head. "In the spirit of trust, I have an idea. Let's get out of here."

 **A/N: The start of their date turns into a flashback of Callie's past, a reaffirmation of their love for one another, and working through trust issues. What does Callie have up her sleeve? Date night part 2 up next! As always, your reviews are welcomed and encouraged! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Wow! I just need to say wow. So many people have just recently picked this story up and the feedback from both new readers and those who have been reading for a while has blown me away. I am so glad that there is so much interest in this story. THANK YOU!**

 **For those wondering about updates: I try to update every 2 weeks (more often if I can), but please know that I will not abandon this story! I will continue to write if people continue to read!** **J** **Once I am done with this one, I have a few other story lines in my head so I hope to be able to continue to keep telling Calzona stories for your enjoyment (well and my own)! This story still has a lot more to reveal!**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter and continue to enjoy the story!**

"Calliope, I am pretty sure this is illegal" Arizona giggled, her tone dripping with half seriousness, but also adrenaline coursing through her veins. She shined her flashlight back down the dimly lit stairwell to ensure no one was following them. In any other situation, she certainly would have felt creeped out by the flicker light above and the unknown lurking in the tight corridor, but for some strange reason, being here with Callie made her feel alive.

"Oh, come on. Live a little" Callie replied, slightly out of breath with a mysterious smile painted across her face. Even in the oddest situations, Arizona thought she was stunning. Outstretching her hand through the open window, she motioned for Arizona to grab it. At first, Arizona didn't grab her hand, so she ducked her head back through the opening where Arizona was still fidgeting against the back wall, slight hesitation flashing across her face. "Do you trust me?" she said as she met deep blue eyes staring back at her.

Trust. There was that word again. A small five letter word that seemed to have the ability to become a wrecking ball on both of their lives. In the months they had been together, trust had played a huge factor and tested their commitment to each other in more ways than one. And only a short time ago, it resurfaced once again in the restroom of a jazz club. Instead of letting the wrecking ball wreak havoc on their lives, they decided to challenge it head on and build the foundation of their relationship on trust from that point forward. So, in the essence of trust, Arizona decided it was now or never to jump in with both feet. Giving Callie a quick smile and simple nod in return, she grasped the warm hand of her girlfriend, and was pulled through the window.

Finding her footing, Arizona gasped in awe.

After leaving the restroom at the jazz club, the pair hurried out of the restaurant. During their discussion, Callie had a new idea for how to spend the rest of their evening so she grabbed a to-go container full of their appetizers and left a $100 bill on the table before heading back out into the Boston streets. Without saying too much of what was on her mind, she dragged them both into a convenience store to pick up a few necessities: two bottles of wine, an old school Polaroid camera, a blanket, a flashlight, a few candles (matches of course), and a small Bluetooth radio.

"Calliope, what is all of this for?" Arizona quizzed, her eyes wide in amazement. Moments ago, they were about to spend a nice evening wining and dining listening to soft music and now they were ransacking the local vendor down the street.

"Only time will tell, my love" she smiled back and placed a quick kiss on Arizona's cheek before continuing to shop for supplies.

The unknown was thrilling and Callie's energy was anything short of electrifying. The way Callie's smile beamed from ear to ear spread a feeling of excitement throughout the blonde that she had never experienced before.

Arriving back at the hotel, Arizona was sure they were headed back to their room, which she certainly didn't mind. Ever since she first saw the Latina in that tight, black dress her arousal had been pooling between her thighs. A night of having Callie writhing underneath her was always welcomed, but when they got onto the elevator and headed for the top floor, she was certainly confused.

Unknown to her, earlier in the day, Callie stumbled upon the rooftop bar while she was exploring the hotel. She tried to open the door, but read a sign that it would be closed for renovation until the end of the week. On the way back down the stairs, she noted a window that was left open with direct access to the patio. Testing the waters, she easily climbed through and when she got to the other side, she knew it would be a perfect spot to bring Arizona before turning in for the night. It was an added bonus that the patio was scheduled to open at the end of the week and patio furniture and decorations had already been set up. It was like their own private oasis.

Which is now, where they stand.

"Calliope. This is amazing. How, I mean…" Walking over to the edge of the patio, gazing out into the Boston night Arizona was speechless. She had a perfect view of the entire city, lights outlining each silhouette below. There was something mysterious about breaking the rules that only upped the wow factor to the next part of their night.

Callie quickly set their supplies down on one of the lounge chairs and stood directly behind Arizona overlooking the city, running her hands up and down her toned arms. The pair stood in silence for what seemed like hours, looking out into the night. Boats were floating down the river, traffic was heard in the distance, and every building told a story. Silent tears began running down Arizona's cheeks, undiscovered by Callie until a pale hand reached up to wipe them away.

"Are you crying?" the brunette whispered, placing a soft kiss on the back of blonde curls. Feeling Arizona shake her head, she quickly turned her girlfriend around and stared into watery blue orbs.

"I'm so sorry Calliope. I just…" Arizona couldn't finish her statement. She couldn't find the right words to explain the emotions she was experiencing.

Feeling a sense of uneasiness, Callie quickly pulled Arizona tight into her chest. She wasn't sure why Arizona was crying, but she knew she couldn't handle any more heartache for the night. The pair had dodged obstacles all weekend, some she thought for sure would put a halt to their relationship one way or another. But before her mind raced out of control, Arizona pushed back and stared into concerning brown eyes.

"How are you real?" she smiled before wiping fallen tears from her eyes once again.

Confused by the question, Callie began searching her brain for what that meant but didn't have to search long before Arizona continued.

"I have been searching for you my whole life, Calliope and one day, you just show up on my door step, out of the blue." She tucked a loose strand of brown hair behind Callie's ear before running her palm down Callie's face. Her thumb lightly stroked Callie's cheek before running the rest of the way down her body, settling on her hip. "I just…I'm not sure what I did to deserve you."

Callie quickly pulled Arizona flush against her chest, for a second time in just a few minutes. Emotions had been running high all weekend and Arizona just couldn't hold in the joy she was feeling at the moment, especially after the whirlwind of Joanne and Eliza pushed her relationship with Callie to the edge. She was sure that one of those situations were going to cause turmoil in their relationship, but Callie continued to surprise her time after time. But that needed to end tonight. She didn't want anything else to stand in their way of being happy. And at this moment, she was truly happy.

"I am the luckiest girl in the world" Callie whispered against the top of Arizona's head as she held her in a deep embrace. She felt Arizona chuckle a bit in her arms, squeezing around her body even tighter as if she would disappear if she let go. But disappearing was the last thing on Callie's mind. She was in this and she was determined to continue to prove that every moment of every day. After her break-up, if that's what you call it, with Erica, she promised herself that she would never fall that hard again for a girl. And she held true to that word, because this time, she fell harder. Arizona was it for her, and she couldn't be happier.

This time, Callie was the one to pull back. "Okay, no more crying. No more overthinking things. You love me, and I love you, and none of the rest of it matters" she said as she offered her girlfriend a wide smile. "Now, let's enjoy the rest of our night shall we?"

With a smile and a simple nod, she grabbed Callie's hand and pulled them back over to where their supplies had been left. Callie quickly rooted through the bags, pulling the blanket out first.

"Here, grab that other lounge chair and push it against this one."

Doing as she was told, Arizona rearranged the furniture to make a makeshift double lounger. Callie spread the blanket so that it appeared to be one seamless chair and focused her attention back to her bag of goodies. Knowing they didn't really get to eat at their first stop, she quickly assembled a buffet of their appetizers, lit a few candles, and popped the cork on a bottle of Chardonnay. Connecting the Bluetooth speaker to her phone, she turned the volume up softly and the device began to play "The Best of Miles Davis" from her YouTube account. The set up was perfect.

Turning to face Arizona, she watched as the blonde took a sip of Chardonnay straight from the bottle. It might be one of the sexiest things Callie had ever seen, the way her lips drew the liquid into her mouth and her eyes never losing contact with hers.

Swallowing the cool, buttery liquid Arizona smiled back at her girlfriend. "We forgot glasses" she snickered passing the bottle back over to the brunette. An equally large smile appeared on Callie's face before mimicking her girlfriend's actions. The taste of wine immediately set Callie's racing mind at ease. They were finally right where Callie wanted them to be for their date night, together in a romantic setting with no cares in the world.

Sitting down on the loungers, the pair began to fill their hungry bellies with the leftover appetizers from the jazz restaurant.

"Oh my, Calliope. You have to try this pork belly with goat cheese" she said before placing a helping against Callie's lips. Feeling Callie pull it from her grasp, her lips lingering ever so slightly against her fingers, she smiled as she watched the Latina's face in enjoyment.

"Oh, you are so right. We could have just ordered these and called it a day" she laughed popping another one in her mouth.

The pair continued to devour the food, sneaking soft kisses and seductive glances towards each other throughout the duration. A comfortable silence fell between them, both just enjoying the music and each other's company.

After cleaning up the to-go containers, Arizona reached back in the bag.

"So what is this for, Calliope?" she questioned, pulling out the Polaroid camera.

Smiling widely, Callie snatched it from the blonde's grasp and took a picture of Arizona.

"Hey! I wasn't ready!" she pouted.

"That's what candid photos are about" she giggled, waiting for the photo to develop. Callie found Arizona's pouting adorable so she snapped another picture quickly before Arizona had the chance to stop her.

"Callie! Seriously!" she said. She couldn't help but laugh at the excitement the photos brought her girlfriend.

"Okay, okay. Well when I was a little girl, my Abuelo used a Polaroid camera to document pictures of his favorite things or activities. He always said that the excitement was watching the picture develop, that there was something romantic about black and white photos that were instantaneous. I haven't seen a camera like this in a while, so, when I saw it in the store, it made me want to start using it to document our memories."

Arizona's heart swelled with joy. Callie really put a lot of thought into the spur of the moment twist to their date and she was over the moon in love. She leaned in and captured plump red lips in between hers. The kiss was soft and full of love. It was the first real kiss they had shared since their make-up kiss in the bathroom earlier that night. It wasn't rushed, or full of an apology. It was a kiss of pure love.

Pulling back, Arizona smiled and shook her head at her girlfriend. "You are something else Calliope Torres."

The pictures were coming into focus and Arizona was so embarrassed about her expression in not just one but both of the pictures. "I might love you so very much, but you are getting rid of those picture" she threatened as she tried to grab them out of her girlfriend's hand.

"What? Get rid of them? They are perfect." Callie couldn't help but laugh as she tucked the pictures into her bag.

"Calliope…" Arizona warned.

"Here, let's take one of both of us" she replied, trying to make Arizona forget about the two she had stowed away.

Rolling her eyes, Arizona cuddle up close to Callie and watched as the flash provided the camera just enough light to take their picture.

"There, should be ready in a few minutes" Callie said excitedly.

Arizona shook her head once again. She couldn't help but be entertained by Callie's crazy antics. The love that was pouring from her heart was unable to be contained. Picking up their bottle of wine, she realized it was already empty.

Callie immediately noticed, and pulled out their second bottle from their bag. Opening it, she turned back around to see Arizona was standing in front of her with a sly look on her face.

"Can I have this dance?" Arizona asked as she extended her hand towards Callie. Without hesitation, Callie set the bottle of wine down on one of the end tables and twirled Arizona around in a circle.

"The pleasure is all mine, pretty lady."

Callie immediately took the lead and pulled Arizona in close, their gaze remained locked. She placed her hand softly on the small of Arizona's back while Arizona placed hers through her arm and around her shoulder from behind. Their free hands intertwined perfectly and Callie began to lead the pair into a slow rhythm to match the notes of the saxophone that was floating through the air. At first, they were a bit clumsy, stepping on each other's toes, pulling each other different ways, but they quickly fell into a rhythm that matched the melody of the music. Together, they found a rhythm that worked for them.

As the songs continued to progress, Callie couldn't help but smile and take in the peacefulness that was finally surrounding them. The woman in her arms staring back at her was perfect. Her eyes were a deep shade of blue and irresistible. The love and passion that was flowing back made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have a partner like her.

Without warning, Arizona turned elegantly away from their grasp and circled the brunette, running her fingertips across her girlfriend's body in tune with the upbeat jazz music that was now beginning to play. She held almost an animalistic tone to her movements, taking charge of their performance. Normally Callie liked to be the one in the lead while dancing, but in this moment, she didn't quite care. She was intrigued by Arizona's actions and eager to see where she was going to lead them.

Feeling Arizona wrap her body around her from behind, the warmth between them grew more and more powerful by the second. Callie felt her heartbeat immediately grow into a steady rhythm with each movement of her hip into Arizona's center. Arizona quickly turned Callie in her arms and wrapped one leg behind Callie's toned calf, running up it slowly before pulling away, almost in a teasing fashion. And boy did it work. Callie felt her arousal pool even more between her thighs, and with the dress she was wearing, she was surprised it wasn't running down her leg yet.

Arizona quickly turned and grinded her perfect ass into Callie's center, grabbing her hips from behind and shimmying up and down her body. If by the end of their dance Callie could keep her arousal at bay, it sure wasn't going to take long for her to reach her peak.

Feeling Callie behind her only encouraged Arizona further. She could feel the heat radiating from her center, which was sure to be matching her own. Needing a little distance, yet wanting to continue this seductive dance they were sharing, she quickly grabbed the bottle of Chardonnay and filled her mouth with a small taste. She quickly turned around and transferred the cool liquid from her mouth into Callie. Seductively smiling back at her, she took one last sip for her before placing the bottle back down in its original location.

Feeling Callie snake her arms behind her, she melted into her embrace.

"God, Arizona. That was so sexy. Si sigues bailando así, no podré controlarme mucho más (If you keep dancing like this, I won't be able to control myself much longer)."

Arizona let out a sultry moan. If Callie said anything remotely close to what she was thinking, she was all for it. She quickly turned around in Callie's embrace and pushed her back towards the loungers. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do, because Arizona couldn't contain her arousal any longer. Sensing Callie's knees hitting the back of the chair, she pushed just hard enough so that Callie took the hint and laid down. Not wasting any time, Arizona quickly removed her own shirt, revealing her black lace bra, and crawled up Callie's form.

Taking in the sight of a very aroused and eager blonde, Callie knew this was going to be quick for both of them. Arizona quickly pressed her lips against hers and immediately begged for access. The flavor of wine lingered on their tongues, adding an extra element of arousal to her taste. Reaching around her back, she quickly unhooked her bra, allowing her perky mounds to spring free and rub against Callie's clothed chest.

"Off" Callie demanded as she began to unbutton Arizona's jeans. Arizona quickly stood up and shimmied her jeans off along with her matching black lace underwear.

Callie looked up at Arizona, taking in her beautiful naked form. She started to get up to remove her own clothes but Arizona stopped her, pushing her back down on her back.

"There is something so wild and so hot about being naked for you under the stars." Arizona wasn't normally this bold and certainly never left herself so vulnerable for another person, but Callie continuously made her want break every rule she ever followed.

Climbing back on top of Callie, she quickly toyed with the hem of her black dress before slipping her hand along her thigh, stopping at the material encasing the object of her desire. She could feel the heat radiating between her thighs, begging to be touched. Quickly ripping her panties from underneath the dress she immediately ran her finger up and down the length of Callie's pulsing center.

"You are so wet" she smiled before running the same finger with Callie's arousal through her own folds, giving Callie a full show. Collecting both of their arousals, she brought her finger to her lips to taste their mixture.

Callie was pretty sure she was about to explode just by watching Arizona. The mix of seeing Arizona's naked form above her and seeing her taste their combined juices sent her nerves into overdrive. She let out a deep moan of approval and pulled Arizona into a deep kiss, needing to taste herself on Arizona's tongue.

In mid-taste, she quickly flipped their positions so that Arizona was now on her back.

"I need you" she begged, lowering herself onto Arizona's waiting fingers, feeling them easily slip inside. She groaned at the feeling of her girlfriend filling her as she equally filled her girlfriend in a similar manner, her dress now pooling at her hips. Just like their dance, their thrusting began to develop a rhythm that expressed their love for one another, melting their bodies into one, simultaneously bringing each other to their release.

After coming down from their release, they both slowly pulled out from each other's pulsing center. Arizona crawled up Callie's body and draped half of her naked body over her panting girlfriend. She felt Callie fist her blonde curls, holding on for dear life as she rested her head in the crux of her shoulder. They laid still, in silence, listening to each other's breath even out. Callie lazily ran her fingers up and down her girlfriend's naked back, loving the feeling of her pressed against her body. She noticed Arizona shivering slightly so she pushed herself up, pulled the blanket out from underneath them, and wrapped Arizona in her arms under the blanket.

At this point they had a perfect view of the stars. Callie pulled Arizona's blonde hair away from her face and positioned her to look up into the sky. "You see that constellation up there?" she pointed into the sky. Feeling Arizona nod her head, she continued. "That constellation is Hercules. He was a Roman mythological hero. And that one over there" she again pointed to another cluster of stars, "is Zeus. And that one over there, is Orion. Ledged has it that back in the day, they battled over a girl, and Zeus won. That's why his constellation is the brightest."

Arizona looked up at Callie in amazement. "Really?"

Smiling Callie shrugged her shoulders, "I have no clue. Totally made that up" she laughed.

Arizona thought it was equally funny and laughed right along with her. "You could have fooled me. I know nothing about astronomy."

"Me either. I just remember something about those constellations from high school" she simply replied.

Continuing to gaze into the stars, Arizona let out a deep yawn, signaling sleep was upon her. With a quick kiss, Callie suggested they make their way back to their room for a good night sleep. She knew Arizona had to get up early tomorrow for day two of her surgery. That plus they were going to have a late night tomorrow for Friendsgiving.

After collecting their things, Arizona half redressing herself, they slipped through the open window once again, shutting it behind them. Making their way down the stairs, they made awkward eye contact with a security guard that was passing them on his way up to where they were coming from.

Arizona's eyes grew wide and felt Callie tug on her arm as they hurried down the rest of the stairs and into their room. Shutting the door behind them, they broke into a laughing fit at the thought of getting caught out on the restricted patio.

"Oh my God, Callie! That was so close!" she managed to squeak out in between laughs. She was on a high from her recent release, the amount of wine she managed to consume, and the thrill of being caught. She hadn't had this much fun in years.

"Ah, but we didn't, did we" she smirked, knowing that they probably would have been banned from the hotel if they would have gotten caught. "Besides, they probably knew we were up there with all the cameras that were pointing at us."

Arizona's eyes widened in fear. She didn't even think about the possibility of cameras. They were destined to be on YouTube by now.

"Kidding. Kidding, relax. I checked for cameras earlier in the day. We are clear" she laughed once again.

"Not funny" she said as she pretended to pout. Feeling Callie wrap her in her arms, her smile reappeared and her heart began to swell once again. "Okay, it was really funny. And it was so much fun. Thank you Callie, for turning this into a wonderful evening."

"Thank you for being wonderful. Now get that cute butt of yours to bed. You have a long day tomorrow, and if you stay close to me much longer, I am not going to be able to stop myself from taking you again."

Arizona contemplated her options, and knowing only one was going to satisfy her need. "Is that a threat, or a promise?"

Callie swallowed hard before pushing Arizona back onto the bed and crawling on top of her. "Oh that is definitely a promise."

 **A/N: Next up, day 2 of Arizona's surgery. Will Eliza cause any more issues? What will happen at Friendsgiving? Thanks for reading! As always, I love your reviews!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Very sorry for the (very long if I may add) delay. I had to take care of a sick family member and it took much longer than I expected. It has been a really rough March – May and I hope now to have more time to write! I really do enjoy writing the story and I am always so touched by everyone's interest. Hopefully no more delays!**

When Arizona opened her eyes she was met with darkness. A small light from the crack in the blinds offered a small glow from what could only be the full moon over Boston. After blinking a few times, her eyes finally adjusted to the blackness. Shapes began to form and the silhouette of her girlfriend sleeping face down, softly snoring next to her appeared. Brown hair was wildly spread across the pillow, covering half of her caramel face, but she looked beautiful. Unable to resist, Arizona gently brushed back the dark tresses and brought Callie's face into the open air. Her face was truly a thing of beauty, something Arizona couldn't get enough of.

Callie's face always told a story, her emotions always easily viewed. At this moment, her face showed peacefulness and relaxation, something Arizona was proud of. She worked hard to set Callie's mind at ease over the last few days. Between Joanne and Minnick, she was sure Callie was going to leave her, they always did in this situation. But Callie was different. She was worth fighting for and worth keeping. She was confident they were finally in a place where trust was the building block of their relationship and neither of them were going to do anything to ruin it.

Glancing behind Callie, red neon numbers showed 4:37 am. Her alarm was due to go off in about 20 minutes and she would be forced to extract herself away from the beautiful creature that laid beside her, spending the good part of her day in an OR before showing up at the Friendsgiving event. This might be the last opportunity to have true alone time with Callie until the wee hours of the morning and Arizona was determined to make every second count. Capitalizing on the last few minutes she had left, she slowly pealed back the thin cover that was covering Callie's toned back, letting it fall right above her perfect ass. Arizona was definitely an ass woman and Callie's didn't disappoint.

She lightly began tracing each toned muscle layering her girlfriend's back, making sure to cover every as inch with small, lazy patterns. Just as she was about to dip her hand below where the sheet loosely laid, her movements were met with a mellow grunt and a turn of the head. Stilling her motion as to not wake sleeping beauty just yet, she waited until she heard her breathing even out. She knew Callie was far from a morning person so the more aroused she could make her the better. As light snores once again became the only sign of life coming from the sleeping woman, she smiled and began her quest below the sheet. Slipping her hand to cup a perfectly round ass, she started lightly kneading the soft flesh, fisting as much as she could without waking Callie. The feel of her firm ass sent her libido skyrocketing. There was nothing like morning sex and she so desperately wanted to fuck her girlfriend one more time before venturing out into the city.

Arizona's patients grew weaker by the second as she felt the temperature between her legs grow warmer and warmer. Unable to take it any longer, she slipped her hand between Callie and the mattress, feeling the soft curls that were covering her every desire. She couldn't help but giggle as she noticed Callie desperately trying to stay asleep, but failing miserably. One thing she could never understand was how Callie could sleep the day away.

"Wake up pretty lady" she husked into her girlfriend's ear as she dipped her fingers into wet folds while latching her lips onto the pulse point of Callie's neck. She was met again with another grunt and a repositioning by the brunette Goddess sleeping next to her. Deciding to take things into her own hands, she peeled back the covers even further and straddled Callie. She started kneading toned muscles and messaging the sleeping brunette.

Callie was sure she was having the most vivid dream because she swore she felt Arizona's wet center against her ass, strong hands working their way down her back. The feeling of the strong fingers she loved touched her in every place she needed, finally stopping at her hips. Unconsciously, she let out a moan. Her dream was so real, she even thought she felt Arizona's breath against her spine, placing soft wet kisses down it. Callie was in heaven. It wasn't until Arizona arched Callie's hips and dragged a finger through Callie's dripping wet folds that she realized she wasn't dreaming and Arizona was indeed getting ready to fuck her from behind.

"Jesus, Arizona…Don't you dare stop" she panted, finally opening her eyes in realization of what was going on.

A wide smiled quickly surfaced on Arizona's face as she continued to feel Callie's arousal coat her fingers. "Is this all for me baby?" she husked, dipping between her folds once again, circling her opening. "You are so wet" she said as she leaned her body so it was flush against Callie's back.

"Mmmm so are you" she replied, smiling at the thought that her girlfriend was creating friction against her ass, coating her skin with juices of her own.

Two strong hands came up to Callie's perky breasts, gripping roughly against full mounds, the feeling causing Callie's hips to jerk against Arizona's pulsing clit, causing her to let out a deep gasp of pleasure. Feeling Arizona from behind was different, a good different that made Callie writhe in pleasure with barely being touched.

Needing to feel more friction against her throbbing clit, Arizona repositioned her body to maximize contact and reached down around her hips, and directly over Callie's dripping wet center, her fingers toying with her clit. Her entire palm was covered in her wetness within moments and her other hand trailed up her arm, pulling brunette hair back. "You are so sexy, especially in the morning" she husked before pushing two fingers deep into her begging center.

Callie immediately threw her head back, allowing Arizona to latch onto her neck, nibbling and sucking in all the right places. Arizona's hips began working rapidly against Callie's firm ass, grinding hard against her, allowing her own pleasure to begin spreading through her body. Pleasure took off like a wildfire, her need for Callie growing exponentially with every thrust. She began mirroring her own rhythm with each thrust she pumped into Callie's tight pussy. Her fingers continued to stay buried deep inside, dragging them against her walls, while her palm gave attention to her clit. She knew Callie was close, but she didn't want her to come just yet, even though her own release was begging to be let go.

Wanting to take advantage of Callie's position, she quickly removed her fingers causing Callie to whimper at the loss, but was quickly met with a loud scream of pleasure when Arizona slide her fingers between her legs from behind, hitting Callie in just the right spot, while her other hand wrapped around her hip and rubbed at her clit feverishly. Needing to feel her own release, she once again repositioned herself to continue her rhythm against Callie's ass, her release pending for any second.

"Come for me my love" Arizona she husked right as she felt Callie's walls constrict around her fingers and her own orgasm spill throughout her body. Arizona continued to pump slowly in and out of Callie, bringing her down from her release. Sweat now glistened on Callie's toned back and sparkled in the moonlight shining from the window.

Feeling the powerful orgasm pulsating through her body subside, Callie collapsed on the bed, feeling Arizona lay on top of her back. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but Arizona had this way of making her experience earthshattering, show stopping orgasms and she couldn't get enough.

Finally regaining her breath, Callie slowly turned under Arizona so they were now face to face, Arizona still on top. "Mmmm what was that for" she smiled.

Delivering a quick peck on bruised lips below, Arizona merely smirked and pushed off Callie in one quick motion. Groaning at the loss of contact, Callie began to pout.

"That, was because I love my girlfriend very, very much and I am going to miss her all day. Now I need to get ready so that I can hurry up back to you my love." With a quick wink to her love-struck girlfriend, who was still recovering from a morning of bliss, Arizona disappeared into the bathroom to get changed.

Strolling through the main entrance of the hospital a half hour later, Arizona made a beeline straight for the coffee cart. The extracurricular activities she enjoyed with her girlfriend last night and this morning left little time for much needed sleep so she was going to have to rely on copious amounts of caffeine to get her through the next 10 hours. She hadn't been waiting more than 2 minutes when the bane of her existence sauntered through the lobby and over to the coffee cart.

"Good morning Dr. Robbins. Long night I see?" Eliza chirped taking a look at the triple espresso the barista handed over to the blonde. Eliza seemed extra cheerful this morning, although Arizona didn't really have any other scenarios to compare it with. She was sure the brunette had something up her sleeve.

"Good morning Dr. Minnick. My night with Calliope was amazing, thanks for asking" she smirked, knowing just Callie's name would send jealousy pulsing through Minnick's core. Arizona turned and started walking towards Addison's office to start on their plan for the day's events.

Minnick let out a frustrated puff of air and snatched her coffee from the counter. Regaining her composure, she quickly sauntered up next to Arizona, walking side by side to Addison's office. When they got to the door, they noticed Addison wasn't in yet, so they decided to head over to the office that Arizona had been working out of – the same office that Eliza tried to make a move on Arizona less than 24 hour ago.

Upon entering the office space, Arizona couldn't help but notice Eliza's shit eating grin that was still plastered to her face. Something was definitely up but she couldn't figure out for the life of her what was going on. Deciding to ignore the attitude smeared across Eliza's face, she got right into review Tommy's scans that were taken right before Arizona walked into the office.

Arizona was deep in thought, staring at the edge of Tommy's Tibia.

"Damnit" she whispered, barely audible to anyone but herself.

Eliza had been waiting on Arizona's reaction from the scans the entire time so she was paying close attention to anything Arizona was going to say. She had already viewed these scans, knowing full well that the surgery was going to have to be pushed back, meaning she was going to have to spend more time with Arizona working on the case, alone. Long nights were certainly in their future and Eliza was thrilled. Deciding to play stupid, Eliza chirped up. "What did you find?"

"Do you see this right there?" she pointed to the scan.

Eliza leaned in a little closer to 'get a better' view of something she had already noticed. "No I don't, can you point it out?"

Arizona felt Eliza stand behind her, leaning over her shoulder to get a better view, her breast pressing into the back of Arizona's shoulders. Choosing to ignore Eliza because she needed to make sure she knew what was happening with Tommy, she pointed once again to the small spot on Tommy's Tibia.

"Right here. This spot on his bone tells me that the internal fixation is failing. His bone was too weak to hold it" she sighed. She knew it was a long shot but she was confident that they would be able to do part two of the procedure today.

"You mean this spot right here?" she responded, grabbing Arizona's hand and pointing to the grey spot on the scan.

Before Arizona had a chance to respond, Eliza ran her hands quickly up the blonde's arm, ever so slightly, and began to rub her shoulders. "Why so tense?" she whispered in her ear.

Arizona immediately realized what Eliza was doing and flew out of her seat, turning to face Eliza, a look of fire in her eyes.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing? What don't you understand? I have a girlfriend and I am not interested in you" she growled back at the brunette who had a seductive smirk on her face. She couldn't believe the woman standing in front of her couldn't take a hint, a very direct one at that.

"Oh, baby. You just seemed a little…tense, that's all" Eliza responded, making her way towards Arizona.

Arizona held out her hand. "Enough. I need you to leave this office. You are off the case."

Arizona couldn't believe this was happening. Had she not made herself clear? Had she somehow made Eliza feel like she wanted this? Shaking her head, she knew that she had been crystal clear and this woman was just not taking no for an answer. Help or no help, she was better off working by herself than with this home wrecking bitch.

"Ha! You can't kick me off the case. I don't work for you" she spat.

Eliza might be right, but she did work for her best friend, who she was sure would have her back. Deciding that enough was enough, she stormed out of the small office towards Addison's, hoping to find her there.

She couldn't put Callie through another night of torture. She couldn't tell Callie that this woman, yet again, tried to make a move on her. She was sure that Callie would think she was flirting or doing something to get Minnick's attention, but it was far from what she was doing. She shook those thoughts out of her head as she approached Addison's office. Noticing the door was cracked, Arizona peered in to find that Addison was sitting with her back facing the door. Not even knocking, she busted through the door shutting it forcefully behind her.

"Arizona? What's wrong?" Addison immediately jumped out from behind her desk and grabbed the angry looking blonde's hand, tugging her towards the couch. She could see a fire was raging in the blonde's eyes, one she hadn't seen in a very long time.

Arizona sat on the couch, staring back at Addison, speechless. She needed to gather her thoughts before speaking because she wasn't sure what was going to come out if she started talking. She had worked so hard to help this poor kid and now her personal life was getting in the way of thinking of an alternative plan to save his leg.

"Arizona, what happened?"

"I don't think I can be on the case any longer, Addison" she simply replied.

Addison stared in confusion. Yesterday, Arizona was the happiest she had seen in a long time. A sparkle in her eye let her know that she was going to be okay. Today was a different story. Today, she saw Arizona's fight or flight response and in the past, she picked flight. But this time, something seemed off. This was an unusual situation because even through Arizona's crazy past, she never let her work become effected by her mood. Usually, work became an outlet for her, a release of some sort. Concentrating on helping patients is what made her such a brilliant, caring, successful surgeon. Instead of letting Arizona choose flight, she pushed back.

"Okay, what the hell Arizona? You have been working on Tommy's case for months. You are so close, and today…today of all days, the day you are supposed to save this boy's leg, you decide to throw in the towel?"

"I am compromising my patient's outcome because I can't get my personal life together" she responded meekly, looking down in her lap at her fingers, twirling around her name badge.

"What are you talking about?"

Sighing, she took a deep breath before continuing. "Tommy's internal fixation is failing. I can't do part 2 of the surgery today." Arizona paused before continuing. "And I can't figure out what to do next because I am distracted. For the first time in my life, I am distracted and I can't focus."

Addison looked at the defeated blonde sitting on her couch. "Arizona? Arizona, I need you to look at me." She waited until she was able to capture the blonde's eyes. "I love you. You are my best friend. You are the best surgeon for this case, the absolute very best. And I am not just saying that because you are my friend, either. I trust your judgment on what needs to happen. If you can sit here and honestly say that you cannot work on this case, then I feel very bad for Tommy. Or, you can think outside of the box, take a few minutes to recompose yourself, and get back out there. You said to me that you bail when things get hard. I can't let you bail again. Not this time, not on Tommy, and not on Callie."

Hearing Callie's name fall from Addison's words made Arizona's eyes widen. She didn't even have to say what was going on for Addison to understand. Her words spoke volumes to what she needed to do, and in that moment, the fire in her eyes turned to determination.

Deciding things were better left unsaid, Arizona quickly stood up and walked over to the door. Before crossing the threshold back out into the hallway, she turned and looked at Addison, giving her a quick nod and a smile before disappearing out into the hospital.

Callie had been sound asleep, dreaming of having Arizona back in her arms when a soft hand grazed her face. She smiled; feeling like the dream she was having was real until she heard Arizona' voice whispering "wake up pretty lady."

Callie opened her brown eyes to capture deep blue orbs staring back at her. Realizing this wasn't a dream; she quickly sat up, a look of concern draped across her face.

"What are you doing here? Isn't your surgery supposed to start soon?" she questioned.

"I need your help" she asked timidly. Arizona then proceeded to fill Callie in on everything that had happened in the morning, the scans, the interaction with Minnick, and the lecture from Addison. A lot happened in the first 45 minutes of her day.

Callie felt herself hyperventilating thinking about the question Arizona was asking: "Will you help me fix Tommy's leg?" Callie repeated the words over and over in her head. Her expression was blank, making it difficult for Arizona to read what she was thinking. One minute, Callie was sound asleep dreaming of last night's events, and then next, she was facing one of her biggest fears. Callie once held the confidence that any great surgeon had, but that was lost several months ago when she chose wrong. She wasn't sure she could allow herself to be put back in that situation.

"Please, Calliope. No one else in the world knows how to do this. You are the best there is and I trust you. I want to be your partner and I want you to help me on this case." Arizona's words came out confident and strong.

"Arizona…." Callie whispered, fear flashing through her eyes. It was the first emotion Arizona saw since she asked the question. It was the first time Callie said anything in over 15 minutes.

"Please" the blonde responded, her eyes full of hope.

 **A/N: Ahhhh I know. I am evil and come back from a long hiatus with a cliff hanger. I already have most of the next chapter written so it shouldn't take long to get the next one posted! Again, so sorry – but life really got in the way in so many ways. I hope you are still interested in the story even though it's been so long!**

 **Next up: What will Callie choose to do? Will she embrace this opportunity to work with Arizona and safe a little boy's life or will her fears and past be too much to continue? Reviews are great!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Thanks everyone for your kind words. I promised a quicker update and hopefully this one doesn't disappoint! Let me know what you think!**

The human heart has four chambers, all of which are responsible for pumping on average 10 pints of blood throughout the body. Weighing in at a mere 10 ounces, it is a small, yet critical organ to survival. When blood is pumped in and out of the chambers, it makes a distinct thumping, almost sloshing sound. When stressed, a person can hear the distinct sound of blood flowing in and out of each chamber. The sound is like a drum, starting slow and becoming stronger and strong by the second. As the sound becomes stronger, the beat becomes faster, almost like a train picking up speed, traveling faster and faster as its wheels float along steel tracks.

Callie's eyes remained closed as the sound of her blood pumping in and out of her heart continued to pick up pace. Its rhythm laced with the soft whisper of Arizona's voice, playing over and over again in hear head. "Please" she repeated the words as if they were being said for the first time. She wasn't sure how many times the small six letter word was said, but said it was and it was expecting an answer.

As the heartbeat picked up, Callie's fingers automatically held onto the bedspread that was covering the lower half of her body. It was almost as if she was holding on to something she knew was real. Consciousness was in the back of her mind and all she could think about was Mark. How he looked, how he felt as the white sheet was placed over his scruffy face. His eyes, never to be open again, permanently hidden behind soft eyelids. Scrapes and cuts indented into his perfect face, never to heal. Memories of that night came rushing back into her mind, flashing before her eyes. The sound of her beating heart now replaced by a loud solid beep from the flat lining heart monitor.

Subconsciously, Callie brought her right hand over to where Arizona was sitting beside her and grazed her fingertips across her smooth cheek. The skin under her fingertips was different than she thought it would be. It was soft, not rough as she anticipated.

As her fingertips left Arizona's skin, she brought her hand to her chest and grasped her heart, pulling as if she could be the one to rip it out. Tears began to fall as her fingernails dug into her bare skin. The pain from the indention of her fingernails snapped her out of the visions she was having, causing her eyes to flutter open for the first time since Arizona's last words were said. Soulful blue eyes stared back at her. They were laced with concern and apprehension, but more importantly, Callie was still able to see a stronger vison of love.

Feeling Arizona under her fingertips brought back a sense of reality and she was then again reminded of the question she needed to answer. But the question Arizona asked was almost too hard to turn down. Arizona trusted her to help work on a patient that she invested months and months of time and energy into. There was a patient that needed help and Arizona came to her, asking to be her partner. Asking her to work together to help save this boy's leg. If she chose to not help, she would yet again be choosing wrong. Deep down in her heart, she knew what she had to do.

"I'm so scared, Arizona. What if I mess up? What if I'm not the best? I haven't operated in months."

Arizona took Callie's hand into her own. She moved closer to the brunette and placed a swift kiss on wavering lips. The feel of skin on skin, lips on lips, sent energy pulsing through each of their bodies. Arizona learned early on that whenever either of them was scared, they just had to connect themselves to one another to feel the release they desperately needed. And this time, the release was working towards overcoming Callie's past, rebuilding her future.

Pulling away from the kiss, Arizona looked deep into Callie's eyes. "I trust you, Calliope. I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't. I've read almost every article you have published; I've looked up your work online. Your reputation precedes you, and you are the best. It's okay to be scared, but that's what I am here for. I am here to stand right by your side, through every step of the way. I promise."

She knew it was a long shot to ask the woman sitting in front of her to face her fears and take a giant leap of faith, but she had to try. Not only for Tommy, but for Callie. Over the last few months, Callie had been nothing but sweet, kind, and caring. She saw happiness grow inside the damaged heart she found that day on the beach. But as much happiness that shown through, she still could see the pain deep within her brown eyes. It was the same pain she recognized within herself. Pain that was so deep, that only facing it head on would it ever make it go away, if at all. She didn't intend for today to be that day, but she was faced with an opportunity to try and try she was determined to do.

Feeling the bed shift, she watched Callie climb out of bed and wrap the bedsheets around her naked form. She sauntered over to the window, pulling back the drapes to let in the Boston glow of the morning sun. Normally in this movement, Arizona would take this opportunity to wrap herself around the back of the brunette and place soft kisses on her shoulder while taking in the view below, but she was frozen in place. She wasn't sure what her next move was, if any. She wasn't sure if she pushed Callie too far. This morning had been filled with the most silence that ever fell between the two and Arizona could now hear her own heart beat in her ear. The anticipation of Callie's reply was killing her.

Looking out into the city of Boston, the sun shining across the river, the trees, and the buildings did most of the talking. Sparkles from each ray of sun danced with life, energy, and peace. The last few months with Arizona, living in Beaufort, and being free really helped her focus on what was important in life. She didn't have the typical hustle and bustle she was used to screaming down her neck, telling her which path to take. She was free to make her own path, forge her own way. Being with Arizona she quickly learned that happiness was out there, waiting for her to grasp. This was the direction she wanted her life to go in. As much as her past crippled her life before, she wanted to learn to walk again, do what she loved. She missed the OR. She missed putting on that scrub cap and cleansing her life from her hands before stepping into the cold, still room. She knew what she had to do, but she needed a minute and she was so thankful that Arizona was giving her that minute. Before turning back around, she glanced out over the river once more and swallowed hard. She couldn't believe she was about to step back into an OR, but she had to do this, no, needed to do this, not only for Arizona but for the young boy whose life depended on it.

"Let's get started" she smiled back at the waiting blonde.

A short time later, Arizona and Callie walked hand and hand back into the hospital, and towards Arizona's office. Callie immediately felt butterflies in her stomach, but Arizona calmed them by squeezing her hand just a little bit tighter, signaling that everything was going to be okay. On the way in, Arizona had called Addison to work on granting Callie privileges for the OR. Even though Eliza was still going to be on the case, Addison trusted Arizona's judgment to bring Callie on as well. Callie, despite what she thought of herself, was a legend. As soon as Arizona mentioned her name, Addison knew exactly who she was and couldn't believe Arizona didn't tell her anything about her before this. Sure, they talked about Callie, in a girlfriend sort of way, but not about Callie, the rock star Ortho Goddess from Seattle. To be honest, Addison was fan-girling just a little bit.

Settling into Arizona's office, they began to review the patient's chart and discussed the original plan. Taking in all of the information, Callie went over to the white board and began drafting up a new approach. At first, Callie was nervous. Stepping back into a hospital as a surgeon was something she never dreamed of doing again, but the moment she began working with Arizona, going through every detail of the case, she felt alive. She felt something return to her that she had been missing for quite some time.

Arizona watched the master begin to work. Callie feverishly scribbled on the whiteboard what could only be described as chicken scratch. Brown hair was now tied up in a messy bun and her sleeves of her white lab coat rolled up tightly against her elbows. As she concentrated, her eyes squinted just a bit and her teeth captured her bottom lip just enough to send heat running straight to Arizona's center. This version of Callie Torres might be the hottest yet. She felt privileged to be able to watch behind the scenes as Callie constructed a plan, and even more that she got to call the Ortho Goddess hers.

After two hours of continuously changing their course of action, Arizona and Callie finally agreed on the plan to fix Tommy's leg. It was as if they had been working together for years, the way they went back and forth, adding to each other's thoughts. Callie had never worked with anyone that fit into her workstyle so perfectly. She was blown away how easy it was working again with Arizona by her side. Just as Arizona was getting ready to turn the knob on the door to start their day, Callie grabbed her hand and pulled her around to capture soft sweet lips.

Feeling a sense of excitement Callie began to smile mid-kiss and giggle against Arizona's confused face.

"What's so funny?" she asked as an equally large smile spread across her own. Callie's laugh was contagious and so carefree. It was hard not to laugh right along with her.

Shaking her head, she gave Arizona another quick kiss before pulling back and looking straight into the blue eyes staring back at her.

"I was just thinking how surreal this all is. I mean, I never thought anything or anyone would get me to step foot in the OR again, but you, Arizona Robbins, have made it so easy. Working with you all morning was…"

"Electrifying" Arizona chimed in to finish Callie's sentence.

"You felt it too?" she responded.

Arizona nodded her head and pulled Callie in for a deep kiss. Tongues fought for dominance, but Callie was on such a high that she overpowered Arizona and took charge, pressing her back against the door. Her hands immediately grabbed both sides of pale cheeks and delivered one of the most powerful kisses Arizona had ever received. A wildfire had been set within Callie and it was ready to burn for days.

Callie's smile remained as she pulled away from her dazed girlfriend. She was sure the only thing keeping her standing was her tan arms wrapped around her torso.

"I love you Arizona Robbins. Thank you." Noticing that Arizona was still too loopy to respond, she laughed and shook her head once more. "Let's go meet Tommy, shall we?"

Prying herself away from the door, Arizona watched as Callie disappeared out into the hall. Still frozen in her spot, she ran her fingertips across her lips. They were literally pulsing with pleasure, almost as if an orgasm was ripping through. Warmth spread throughout her limbs, slowly covering every inch of her body, from her fingertips to her toes. She was in a state of euphoria, unable to form a thought or a sentence, and certainly had no idea what was going on in the world around her. It wasn't till Callie poked her head back into the office that she finally regained consciousness.

"Are you coming?" Callie looked at her concerned. She knew that kiss had an impact on her girlfriend, but she didn't realize how much of an effect it had. Her skin was flushed and her eyes had almost a predatory look in them.

Clearing her throat and shaking dirty, dirty thoughts out of her head, she put on a forced smile, nodded her head and followed Callie out into the hall. This was going to be the longest day of anticipation ever.

Walking towards Tommy's room, Arizona caught sight of Minnick entering right before they were approaching. Stopping abruptly before the doorway, Arizona felt Callie bump into the back of her.

"What the hell? Can you warn me next time you decide to stop in the middle of the hallway?" Callie was only half serious. She welcomed anytime she could feel Arizona's body underneath her, even if it was just a quick bump into her back.

"Shhhhh. Eliza just went inside. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she grinned and giggled at her girlfriend, who reciprocated her smile. Deciding to give Eliza the shock of her life, Callie waited in the hall as Arizona went into Tommy's room behind Minnick.

Walking in alone, she smirked over at Eliza before greeting Tommy and his parents. It was the same smirk she noticed Eliza gave her when she was hiding information. "How are you feeling today's kiddo?" she teased, checking his IV poll for fluids.

"I'm sad. Dr. M said that you can't fix my leg" he pouted, not looking up from his teddy bear. It pained her to see Tommy with such sadness in his eyes, but she was elated to know Callie was going to be the one to turn that frown upside down.

"You know, Tommy. Dr. M is right. I can't fix your leg. But, you mean so much to me that I had to call in the very, very best. And you know what Tommy?" she asked, a dimpled smile appearing on her cheeks.

Tommy looked at Arizona with curiosity in his eyes.

"She's here and she can't wait to meet you and fix your leg. She has this super magic smile that can turn any frown upside down. With just one look at you with that smile, she will know exactly what to do. How does that sound? Do you want to meet her?" Arizona didn't have to look over at Eliza because she knew confusion was written all of her face.

Tommy quickly shook his head, a smile returning to his face.

Callie had been standing out in the hall listening to every word Arizona said. Her heart skipped a beat at the way Arizona interacted with Tommy. She was kind, thoughtful, and caring, all qualities that would make her a great mother to her child one day. _Whoa. Wait a minute. Did I just say mother to my child?_ Callie's eyes grew wide at her thoughts. They had only been dating a few months and Callie was already picturing Arizona with her babies. Continuing to listen to Arizona talk only confirmed it and instead of causing her to have anxiety, Callie's heart swelled. Snapping her out of her thoughts, Arizona appeared in the door motioning her to enter.

Smiling back at her, she followed Arizona into the room. Catching a quick glimpse of Minnick, she couldn't help but smirk as she saw her jaw basically hit the floor, and stay there.

"Hi, Tommy. I am Dr. Torres. Dr. Robbins has told me so much about you" she smiled, matching Tommy's equally enthusiastic smile. "I have been working hard with Dr. Robbins all morning to come up with a new plan that is going to save your leg. How does that sound?"

Tommy's parents began to cry in the background and Tommy eagerly shook his head up and down in approval. Smiling, she sent a wink over to Arizona and completely ignored Minnick who was now fuming in the background.

After a quick exam, the three doctors headed out of Tommy's room and towards Addison's office to give her the good news about Tommy. Before they got too far down the hall, Eliza stepped in front of Arizona shaking her finger in her face.

"What the hell Arizona. This is my case. Our case, together. You can't just call your _girlfriend_ in and pretend she is a doctor. I mean, come on. Is she even a real doctor?" Minnick questioned, having no idea who Callie really was.

Arizona rolled her eyes and pulled the three of them into an on-call room so that they were out of ear-shot of any patients that might pass by. Arizona was furious.

"First of all, this is my case. I call the shots. I have been working on this case for months and you show up two days ago and have been completely unprofessional ever since. Second, Dr. Minnick, I would like to properly introduce you to my girlfriend, Dr. Calliope Torres, "the" Calliope Torres from Seattle. And if you don't know who she is, you need to get out of my face immediately. And lastly, if you ever, and I mean ever try to put a move on me again, I will personally kick the crap out of you. Are we clear Dr. Minnick?"

Eliza's face was white with both shock and fear. She thought the brunette looked familiar but she had no idea that she was Callie Torres.

Before Eliza had the chance to respond, Arizona continued. "You will assist. You will be treated like a first year intern because you don't deserve to be anything but with the way you've acted. You should be ashamed of yourself. You should feel honored and privileged to even get to breath near this woman."

Turning her attention back on Callie, she softened her tone. "Want to grab lunch before we get started?"

Callie smiled back and took Arizona's hand.

Before leaving a dumbfounded Eliza standing alone in the on-call room, Arizona turned and looked back at her. "Surgery starts at 1. Don't be late."

 **A/N: Callie is coming back to the OR! Will this reignite her passion to start operating again or is this a onetime thing? Dr. Minnick received an eye-opening lecture from Arizona. What will happen at Friendsgiving? Will there be more surprises? As always, let me know what you think! Thanks!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Thank you for your wonderful reviews! Hope you enjoy!**

The surgery was done and over with before she knew it and Callie found herself standing alone, in an empty gallery. She watched intently as the surgical staff below placed a white sheet over the patient in the middle of the operating room. Just moments ago, he was still alive, yet as she stands, all that could be heard was the flat line from the monitor. Like a routine, masks were pulled from the surgeon's faces, gloves were snapped off, and blood spattered gowns were left lying on the floor. Every surgeon goes through different stages of grief when they lose a patient, but the routine always seems to be the same. Within moments, the OR cleared and the body was left, lying in the middle of the room.

As she stared down into the empty room below, her vision started to become cloudy. The sounds of the hospital hallways outside the gallery faded into the distance. Her mind began to mix reality with memories of her past. Blood began to soak onto the white sheet; droplets of blood began to collect in a puddle on the floor. She watched as each droplet increased the size of the puddle. Suddenly, a shoe appeared, stepping right into the puddle of blood her eyes were fixated on. She followed the person's leg to reveal the back of what appeared to be a woman, standing over the body. Dark wavy black hair was flowing from her scrub cap. She seemed to be in a hurry, almost frantic. Callie followed the woman's gaze down to the body, once covered by a sheet, and noticed that it was now taking shape. Legs began to form and a bloody hand was visible just around the hip of the woman. Before she knew it, people dressed in scrub caps, gowns, and gloves began rushing in from every doorway, pushing carts aside, yelling orders to one another. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying but by the look in everyone's eyes, she knew it had to be bad. She has seen that look a thousand times, right before the deciding moment of whether a person lives or dies. The woman seemed to be the one in charge, calling the shots, ordering everyone around. She was good at it. The scene unfolding around her became more vivid, more vibrant with every second that passed by.

The blood disappeared and the team began working on what appeared to be a man lying on the operating table. Surgery was an art, almost a masterpiece and Callie was all too familiar with every motion. Things for the team below seemed to be going well until another man rushed into the OR. The woman with the long black hair was rushed out of the operating room and the man who rushed in took over command. The second the man stepped up to the table, a fountain of blood began squirting out of the patient's body, soaking each team member. As the team frantically rushed to plug each hole, another one formed. Blood began pouring out of the sink, out of the walls, filling the room below. Callie started banging on the glass, warning the team, but it was almost as if they couldn't hear her. They continued to work as if nothing was happening around them. Callie palm rested against the glass. She felt helpless.

Before long, the OR door opened, letting the blood rush into the hallway. The mysterious brunette from earlier rushed back in and fell to her knees, crying. Everyone around her ignored her, the sobs going unnoticed. It was almost as if she wasn't there. Before long, the woman picked herself off the floor, pushed the other people out of the way and stuck her hand inside the man's chest. The curtain covering his face dropped and the man's face was finally visible. It was Mark.

Callie frantically banged on the glass, trying to get the attention of anyone below but only the mystery woman looked up. She slowly pulled her bloody hands from Mark's chest, took off her scrub cap, and surgical mask. Callie was staring back at herself. She was the mystery woman.

Suddenly, a soft voice paired with a gentle touch on her arm startled her awake from whatever vision she was having. Her eyes were wide looking at Arizona, whose face was full of concern. Unable to form a sentence, she looked back down at the now empty OR. Any remanence of the vision she had moments ago was gone, real life coming back into consciousness.

"Calliope?" Arizona asked, slightly worried as she had been calling her name from outside the door a few moments ago receiving no response. When she walked in, Callie was pressed up against the window of the gallery, her nails digging into the glass.

Callie had left the OR immediately after Tommy's surgery and was nowhere to be found. Instructing Dr. Minnick to close, Arizona rushed out of the OR after her, but the brunette had disappeared. Arizona was confused. Everything seemed to be going so well. Callie rocked the surgery, giving Tommy his best shot of keeping his leg. In addition, the surgery she performed also provided hope of not needing any more surgeries pending the success of this one. She was on her game the entire time, not once did she show any hesitation. Watching Dr. Calliope Torres with a knife was like watching magic.

When she placed the last stitch, Arizona could see the megawatt smile through Callie's surgical mask. Cheekbones were on high alert and her eyes sparkled. Just as Arizona was about they were about to close, Callie took a big step back away from the table. In an instant, the smile on her face fell, her eyes became dull and she left the OR without warning. It was almost as if someone flipped a light switch.

Sensing something was wrong, Arizona raced through the halls, stopping at every check in desk and looking in every room hoping to catch a glimpse of her girlfriend. What seemed like hours later, she finally got a lead from one of the interns directing her to one of the OR galleries. After looking into all of the semi-full rooms, she saw a group of surgeons somberly walking out of the last one on the left. Sighing, she knew what that look meant and with her luck, she knew where to find the brunette. Slowly approaching the doorway, she stopped when she saw Callie was alone in the room, flush up against the glass. She was mumbling something to herself, almost argumentative, she thought. Cautiously, she called out Callie's name, but was met with no response. She called out a second and third time, each a little louder, but time after time was met with nothing. Slowly she approached the brunette and placed her hand on Callie's forearm which seemed to finally catch her attention.

"Calliope" she whispered. Seeing Callie mesmerized by whatever was happening below, she immediately knew what had happened. It used to happen to her all the time when she would see men in uniform. Something in that OR triggered a flashback and coming to this gallery, of all places, did not help.

"Calliope look at me" she said trying to catch her attention.

Feeling the blonde's hand on her skin brought a sense of reality back to Callie's conscious. Peering one more time to the clean, empty OR below, she closed her eyes before focusing back on Arizona.

"I'm right here" Arizona said as she brought Callie's hand to her heart. "Feel me. I'm right here."

As she grasped onto the navy blue scrub top, she wasn't sure if she was imagining it or if she could really feel her heart beating through Arizona's chest. Finally making eye contact with Arizona, she saw deep concern in crystal blue eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked timidly. Callie shook her head and leaned back against the window. Silence fell between the two as they continued to stare into each other's eyes.

"It used to help me" she responded. "Talking about it, I mean." Arizona sat down in one of the chairs so she was facing Callie. Receiving a quizzical look she continued. "I used to have a similar reaction when I saw people in uniform. I used to think about my brother and wish I was there to save him. I used to see people that looked like him, and wish he was still here with me. My flashbacks were mostly about watching as the United States Marine Core unloaded his body from the airplane in a dimly lit hanger. Sometimes they were about us as little kids and him telling me he was going to die. It got better over time, but that first time it happened…" she paused before continuing "I wish I had someone to talk to. Because once I started talking about it, the weight I had been carrying seemed much lighter."

Hearing Arizona talk about her own flashbacks caused Callie to slowly sink down against the window. She was now sitting on the floor hugging her knees to her chest. She couldn't make eye contact with Arizona. Not yet anyway. She couldn't believe that here she was, crumbling in front of her girlfriend and she had gone through something similar. She was embarrassed almost.

"It's stupid. Nothing you have to worry about sweetie. I'm okay" she lied right through her teeth and Arizona picked up on every last word.

Wanting to keep lines of communication open with her girlfriend, she, too, got down on the grown and mirrored Callie's posture. Both woman had their back to the empty OR below, sitting shoulder to shoulder. Arizona laced her arm over Callie's and grabbed her hand, signaling she was a source of comfort. "It's not stupid, Calliope. I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but I want you to know that I am here and I am willing to listen." She ended her comment with a slight squeeze to Callie's hand.

Looking up to the ceiling, she kept her tears at bay as she told herself that trusting Arizona with this information could only help.

"I don't know where to start" she whispered.

"How about starting with what happened after you finished with Tommy?" she suggested.

Nodding her head she began. "When I put in that final stitch, I couldn't believe it. I was back in the OR and on a high. I did everything right. We made a great team and we were able to help Tommy. I was ecstatic." Callie paused before continuing. "But just as I started to really celebrate our success, Tommy turned into Mark on the table. A voice inside my head started saying 'stop celebrating, your friend is dead'. At that moment, I panicked. In my head I knew it wasn't real, but that voice in my head was so convincing."

Arizona leaned her head against Callie's shoulder as a form of comfort.

"When I came up to the gallery, I kept walking and walking until I couldn't go any further and ended up in here" she let out a scoff "which obviously didn't make things any better. The second I stepped foot in here, the flat line was heard and the surgeon below announced time of death. I couldn't believe it."

"Calliope that was not your fault" Arizona replied.

Callie let out a subtle laugh. "Yeah, it might not have been my fault but it didn't help the visions that started forming immediately as I walked up to the glass. It was so real, Arizona. There was blood everywhere. Mark's lifeless body was laying there and there was nothing I could do about it."

Silence fell between the two as tears began to flow out of Callie's eyes. They were silent, but tears they were.

"I saw myself down there. I tried to save him. But I was too late" she said in between sobs as she dropped her face to melt into Arizona's chest. Tears took over and she began crying in Arizona's arms.

"Shhhh its okay. Shhhh" Arizona repeated over and over again until Callie's breath evened out and sobs were no longer heard. While Callie was still in her arms, she decided to try to make everything positive.

"I am so proud of you, Calliope. Not many people could do what you did today. You saved a little boy's life. Did it bring back memories of Mark? Sure. And that is expected, Callie. I would be worried if you didn't think about Mark the first time you were back in the OR. But guess what?" she said expecting Callie to look at her. When she didn't pick her head up, Arizona picked it up for her so they were eye level once again with each other. "You saved a life today, in honor of Mark. Mark gave you the strength to get back in there and use your extraordinary talent to save someone else. He wants you to use your talent. I didn't know Mark, but if he was your friend, I know he would want the best for you. And what you did today…I know he would have been proud."

As Callie listened to the words Arizona was saying, her heart began to open more and more. Arizona's words started bringing back positive thoughts and memories of her late best friend and a small smile began to creep onto her lips.

"How do you do this?" she responded to Arizona's thoughtful words.

Arizona looked at Callie with a confused expression.

"How do you know exactly what I need every time?"

Embarrassed, Arizona's cheeks turned red. Callie's response was so flattering but Arizona didn't think she did anything out of the ordinary. "I was just telling the truth, Calliope."

Callie brushed a piece of blonde hair behind her girlfriend's ear before looking into her soulful blue eyes.

"I'm sorry for freaking out today and leaving you alone in the OR to finish."

"Callie, there is nothing to apologize for. I should be apologizing to you for putting pressure on you to get back in there, but the only reason I did, was because I knew you could do it."

"Please don't apologize. I should be thanking you, Arizona. I don't think I would have done it without you."

Arizona lovingly pulled Callie into a deep kiss. As their lips touched, a different kind of spark was sent throughout both of their bodies. One that grounded them both into feeling what was real. Pulling back from the kiss, their eyes stayed glued on one another, almost as if they were etching this memory into their minds. Before long, Arizona pulled them both back up into a standing position.

"We had a long day. Why don't we go back to the hotel and order some room service?" she suggested.

On any normal day, Callie would have thought that was a great idea, but tonight, they had plans. Plans she knew Arizona was looking forward to. "Arizona, we promised Addison we would be at Friendsgiving tonight, and I want to go."

"Baby, we don't have to. I know this was a big day for you, for both of us. I'm serious we don't have to go."

Pulling Arizona into her arms and nuzzling her nose. "I was kinda looking forward to meeting all of your friends….and wearing a sexy outfit for you tonight" she husked the last part into her ear. Watching Arizona's face flush with excitement she knew she sealed the deal. "Come on. Let's go for a little bit and then we can order room service and snuggle when we get back. How does that sound?"

"It sounds perfect" Arizona smiled and led them both back into the halls of the hospital to finish up some charting, check on Tommy, and head back to the hotel to change before the party.

 **A/N: Reviews are appreciated! Next chapter about Friendsgiving is almost done! I had some extra time this week :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Enjoy!**

"Arizona, we are going to be late!" Callie yelled from outside the bathroom door. Arizona had been in the bathroom for the last hour and she was starting to worry something was wrong. Normally, Arizona was quick when she was getting ready, but tonight was taking extra long. Seconds later, the creek of the bathroom door was heard and Callie snapped her head up.

"Holy mother of…" Callie gasped, her chin hitting the floor as she took in the beautiful Goddess in front of her. Her mouth was watering with excitement, fully ready to skip Friendsgiving and take Arizona right then and there. They had gone out to many different places around Beaufort and dressed semi-dressy, but this was the first time Arizona wore a formal dress. It was a thin strapped, navy blue dress with a sweetheart top that showed just the right amount of cleavage. The dress had a subtle bow, tied around her waist with a thin strap, and was finished with gold high heeled shoes. The dress hit her just above the knee and those heels made her have legs for days. Callie noticed she spent extra time on her hair because it was curled to perfection. Dark wispy eye shadow deepened the color of her eyes just a tad and it definitely didn't go unnoticed by Callie. She was pure sex on a stick.

Arizona nonchalantly exited the bathroom and pretended like she didn't notice Callie drooling, but she knew full well what the Latina was thinking. The moment she exited the bathroom she saw the lust form in Callie's eyes. Truth be told, she had to keep focused on anything but Callie or else they weren't making it to Friendsgiving. In the few moments she glanced at Callie when she came out of the bathroom, she became flushed with excitement. Callie had on a knee length, deep red satin dress that highlighted every curve perfectly. The back of her dress was open to the small of her back. Her hair was pulled up in a sophisticated, yet messy bun that was positioned just right. A few strands of hair loosely fell against her tan shoulders.

Before she had the chance to ask Callie if she was ready to go, she felt Callie wrap herself around her from behind and pepper kisses across her bare back.

"I am going to fuck you so hard later" she husked into the blonde's ear, causing goosebumps to visibly spread across her fair skin.

Feeling Callie's warm breath against her neck caused a rush of excitement to her dripping wet center. She was sure she would to melt into a puddle on the floor if Callie's strong arms weren't wrapped around her. At that moment, she made up her mind. They were staying in for the night. She didn't intend to share her smokin' hot girlfriend. But before she had the chance to put her plan into action, she felt a little shove forward and Callie's hot breath in her ear.

"But right now, we have a dinner to attend" she teased as she opened their hotel room door and led Arizona into the hallway.

"Mean" she squeaked out realizing they were no longer alone and Arizona didn't have the opportunity to have her way with the gorgeous Latina.

"Oh baby, it will be worth the wait. I promise."

Worth the wait she was. Arizona would wait for her all day long if she had to as long as the Goddess came home with her that night. The dinner party was going to be fun, but not as much as dessert.

Callie grabbed Arizona's hand as they made their way to the elevator. Once inside, they were met with staring eyes so they had to be on their best behavior. But that didn't stop Arizona from pushing Callie against the elevator wall when the patrons exited on a different floor.

"Do you feel what you do to me?" she demanded as she directed Callie's hand to run along her soaked panties.

Callie could feel the amount of wetness that had formed. Never in her life had she felt as turned on as she did in that moment. Throwing caution to the wind, Arizona quickly dropped to her knees, removed Callie's panties, took one long lick of her glistening slit, and stood back up to face her girlfriend. As her mouth hovered centimeters away from her girlfriend's open mouth, she whispered "I'll be keeping these as a reminder of you teasing me" she smirked as she put them in her purse just in time for the elevator doors to open behind her into the lobby.

To say Callie was in shock is an understatement. One minute, the tongue of her sexy girlfriend was sliding against her aroused pussy, and the next minute she was standing alone, pantyless, in an elevator watching her girlfriend walking into a lobby full of people. Her face was flushed and her chest was blotchy from the hot ride she just experienced.

"Are you coming?" Arizona played, knowing full well how she left Callie.

Coming had two different meanings in that moment, one that Callie desperately wanted to explore. But, against her will, Callie pealed herself from the metal wall and made her way into the lobby to catch up with her girlfriend.

"Who is not nice, now?" she growled as Arizona hailed their cab.

"Calliope, I was just getting even, that's all" she toyed opening the door to the cab for her girlfriend.

"Game on, Arizona. And I play dirty" she smirked as she passed by the blonde, push her ass into her center before getting in.

As Arizona climbed in behind Callie, she could see the fire lit in Callie's eyes. It was almost as if she was staring into her soul like a lion ready to devour meat. As the cabby began their trip towards Addison's house, Arizona and Callie sat as far away from each other as they possibly could. One touch could send them over the edge, providing the cabby a free show.

Twenty minutes later, their cab ascended up a long, windy driveway. Both sides were lined by trees creating a wooded pathway that ended at a giant log framed house. The house was magnificent, a completely different theme than what Callie was used to in both Seattle and Beaufort. Stone accents added an elegance to the structure and the landscaping was done meticulously. Large windows provided natural light into each room, allowing an equal glow to illuminate the outside. Coming from money, Callie was used to large, extravagant homes, but this was the first home that actually felt 'homey'.

Startling Callie out of her daydream, she felt Arizona's hand graze her thigh, the touch lighting her skin on fire. She had become distracted and left herself vulnerable to Arizona's antics. Not that she minded, but if she didn't get a release soon, she was sure she would explode. Feeling Arizona take full advantage of the distracted cab driver, she felt long slender fingers toy with the small patch of soft curls right on top of the opening to her pussy. Being sans panties sure left her vulnerable for Arizona's games.

"Not fair" she said as she tried to get her breathing under control. "You have panties on" she whispered low enough to keep the cab drive in the dark about their little game.

Arizona quickly removed her hand from beneath Callie's dress as the cab came to a complete stop. Before she got out of the car, she leaned over into Callie's ear. "Who says I'm wearing panties Calliope?" Arizona smirked and left a frazzled brunette in the backseat of the cab.

After their little episode in the elevator, Callie didn't think she could be any more turned on, but boy was she wrong and this was going to be a long night.

Peeling herself from the cab, yet again sexually frustrated, she grabbed onto Arizona's hand a little tighter than normal. She needed to feel her soft skin but also let her know she was growing closer and closer to reaching her peak. The hand squeeze was a small warning, but all Arizona did was smirk. She knew she was playing with fire and she fully intended to feed the flame.

The couple walked up the final few steps and rang the doorbell. Callie had her hand on the small of Arizona's back and just as the door began to open, she dropped it down to grab a fistful of Arizona's tight ass. Arizona swallowed hard and put her game face on, knowing if not, whoever was opening the door would see the arousal in her eyes.

"Ladies! You made it!" Addison beamed from ear to ear while pulling Arizona in for a long hug. After pulling back, Addison focused her attention to Callie. Of course she knew who she was by photographs and articles, but meeting Callie in person for the first time not as an orthopedic surgeon but as her best friend's girlfriend was something special.

"And you must be Dr. Calliope Torres? It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you. Not only from Arizona but also I've read several of your articles and was ecstatic to know you operated in our hospital today" Addison said before extending a warm hand over to Callie. Grasping it firmly, she smiled as she shook the world class orthopedic surgeon's hand. She was fangirling hard, basically drooling over Callie.

"Addison!" Arizona hissed warning her friend to stop making such a big deal over her girlfriend. Addison gave her a sheepish look and focused her attention back to Callie.

"Callie's fine" she said slightly embarrassed by all the fuss. Deciding to ignore Addison's excitement, she returned the compliment. "I have heard a lot about you as well, Dr. Montgomery. Arizona speaks very highly of you."

"Please, call me Addison. I hope you both are hungry. We have a ton of food!"

"Oooo Callie brought supplies to make…uhhh...how do you pronounce it? Sweet Potatoes with Orange Piloncillo Syrope and…some kind of pepper?"

Callie's heart swelled listening to Arizona attempt to speak Spanish. She found her doing it every once in a while. Mostly just simple phrases like "hola" or "buenos noches" but she was practicing saying her thanksgiving side all day to try to get it right.

"You are so close!" she said with excitement. "I'm making Sweet Potatoes with Orange Piloncillo Syrope and Chile de Arbol. It's a Latin style sweet potato. I hope you don't mind. I also brought some wine." She wasn't used to living out of a hotel and not having her own kitchen. She never came to a party without bringing anything and Arizona insisted Addison would let her use her kitchen.

"Oh of course not! Please, come inside. I'll show you where to set up."

The two woman held hands as they made their way inside the huge open living room / kitchen combo. The home was decorated for fall, colors of orange, red, and green were spread throughout the area. Across the way, a large dining room table was set for at least 20 people, if not more. Callie slightly felt overwhelmed by the number of guests that were expected to attend. When Arizona said Friendsgiving, she thought it would just be a few people. Looking down into her brown grocery bag, she silently hoped she had enough supplies to feed all of these people.

Sensing Callie's uneasiness, Arizona squeezed Callie's hand and pulled her so that she was facing the blonde. "Are you okay?" she asked with a serious tone.

Looking into Arizona's eyes, she could see the sincerity in her question. She gave a small smile and placed a quick kiss on waiting lips. Seeing Arizona's face and feeling her soft lips on hers made all of her anxiety disappear. "I am now" she beamed.

"Easy there lovebirds. Callie, why don't you come with me and I'll set you up in the kitchen."

"Actually, Addie, I would like to introduce her to everyone first, if that's okay?"

"Oh sure! Here, Callie. Let me take your bag into the kitchen. Arizona can bring you over when you are done."

Arizona showed Callie around the house and as they went room to room, even outside on the terrace, she introduced her to all of her old friends. Arizona was on cloud 9 and loving showing off her girlfriend.

As they made their rounds, Callie felt more and more at ease. Everyone was so friendly and easy to talk to. She could definitely see herself having a good time tonight. Plus, being on the arm of the blonde bombshell, she could think of a better place to be spending the night.

Before bringing Callie back to the kitchen, Arizona slyly yanked her girlfriend into the powder room. The room was small, just enough space for a toilet and a sink and make the two woman stand flush up against each other.

"Finally, I get you alone" she breathes into Callie's neck. "You have been driving me crazy all night and the party hasn't even started yet." Arizona continued to place soft kisses up Callie's tan neck, nibbling just slightly on her ear, before pulling Callie into a deep kiss. Immediately receiving access, their tongues fought for dominance, Arizona winning out. There was something primal about her this evening and Callie was so turned on. "Turn around" she ordered, spinning Callie so that she was now watching herself in the bathroom mirror.

Callie's center was dripping with anticipation. She was about to be fucked from behind with a room full of party guests just outside of the door. Her mind was going wild. Arizona lifted her dress slightly so it was pooling around her waist. Just as she thought Arizona was going to slip two fingers inside her, she was met with a different sensation. Something cool, metal like was inserted instead of her girlfriends fingers she was expecting. The feeling was new and different. Suddenly a second object was inserted. She let out a moan as the two objects collided in her tight pussy, causing a vibration feeling. "Arizona" she gasped.

"Leave these in. They are Ben Wah balls. Knowing they are inside you all night will drive me crazy. Just think of them as my fingers, fucking you slowly all night long" she teased before pulling her dress back down. She quickly opened the door and led them back into the party without giving Callie the opportunity to protest.

As Callie took each step, she felt the balls threatening to slip from her core. She quickly yanked Arizona's arm so they were back behind a wall.

"Arizona, they are going to fall out. I'm not wearing any underwear…remember?" As she was expressing her concern, the balls vibrated against each other sending another pulsing sensation through her core. She swallowed hard and latched onto Arizona's shoulder to keep the balls still.

"Oh I remember. You will just have to learn to keep them in, Calliope" she smirked, knowing that Callie would quickly figure out how to keep them in place. And with that, Arizona led them back into the main living area.

"Alright. She's ready to get started" Arizona motioned for Addison to help Callie start making her dish.

Callie was still in shock at the thought that Arizona had put steel metal balls inside her to wear during the party. She watched as her blonde sauntered away into the crowd of guests, leaving her alone with Addison and the steel balls. By now, they were settled into a comfortable spot, but she could feel her arousal dripping down her leg ever so slightly. As she began to prep her dish and get it ready to put in the oven, she would feel the balls chime together, sending that pulsing sensation through her core. She was sure Addison must have thought she was sick or something the way she had to lean against the countertops, grasping for anything to keep her pending orgasm at bay.

"So tell me, Callie, how did the surgery go earlier? Arizona said it was a success." Addison was trying to make small talk to Callie but Callie was so distracted she didn't hear her.

"Callie? Callie? Callie?"

Hearing Addison stress her name a little extra the third time she said it, Callie focused her attention back on the woman standing in the kitchen with her.

"I'm sorry, what?" she responded, embarrassed that the woman probably had been talking to her for a while and Callie didn't hear a word of it. She was really going to make sure Arizona paid for her little stunt she pulled moments ago.

"Are you okay? I've been talking to you for a while and I'm pretty sure you didn't hear any of it" Addison half joked but was legitimately concerned for the woman cooking with her.

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a little nervous, that's all. My mind wondered elsewhere thinking about all of Arizona's friends and how lucky she is to have you guys." It wasn't completely a lie. She really was thinking about that, but that thought crossed her mind _before_ Arizona slipped the balls in.

Addison put her arm around Callie's shoulder. "I know what will help calm your nerves. A glass of wine. Red or white?" she asked not leaving room for Callie to say no.

"Red please" she smiled, feeling comfort that Addison didn't have a clue what was going on.

"Good choice." Addison quickly pour a glass of deep red wine. "My finest red Zinfandel. This might be my favorite wine. I collect wine, did Arizona tell you?"

Callie nodded her head while she took a sip of a very smooth, dry red wine. Addison wasn't lying when she said it was the best red wine.

"I was impressed by the wine you brought tonight."

"Thank you. I'm glad you like it. When Arizona mentioned you were interested in wine, I had to bring one of my favorite Spanish wines."

Addison raised her eyebrow. "Arizona didn't tell me you knew a lot about wine." She pretended to look into the room full of people looking for the blonde, but quickly returned her focus to Callie.

"I don't know a lot of people that are in to wine as much as I am, so I'm not sure I ever told her how interested I am. She only told me on the way here and I had already had the bottle in hand. The 2011 Valdegines Single Vineyard from Artadi's is by far one of the best wines from that region I have had. I will say, this Zinfandel is phenomenal. Where is it from?" Callie was really interested in this conversation. She had figured out a way to keep the balls at peace and as conversation flowed with Addison, she became more and more comfortable wearing them. Every so often, they would give her a slight tickle, but that just kept her libido at an all-time high.

"This Zinfandel is from Ravenswood. It's not overly expensive, but it is delicious. They have some of the oldest vines in Sonoma."

"I've been! But it's been so long since I've been back. I would love to go again."

"Well maybe we could plan a trip! I love to travel, and by the way you found Arizona, my bet is you do too."

Callie blushed for a moment. The way she met Arizona certainly was from a road trip, but clearly Addison didn't know the whole story. She didn't know her well enough just yet so she decided to keep it that way.

"I do" she simply replied. "A trip to Napa and Sonoma would be fantastic" she smiled with one of her signature grins. The wine was going down fast and a slight buzz began to form. She wasn't normally a lightweight when it came to drinking, but she hadn't eaten all morning and dinner wasn't going to be for another hour. She needed to remain in control so that she could finish was Arizona started.

To Be Continued...

 **A/N: I wanted to get part 1 of Friendsgiving out today. Its going to be a few chapters so here is part 1! Things are going well with Addison! Will the rest of the guest like Callie? Any surprises? Reviews are appreciated as always!**


	20. Chapter 20

**I am so very sorry for the long delay. Life got in the way. As a reader, I know it is hard to get back into a story when writers take a long time to post in between chapters. I hope you are still enjoying the story!**

Arizona watched Callie from across the crowded room. At first, she felt a slight bit of guilt for possibly placing Callie in an uncomfortable situation, knowingly arousing her to no end. After receiving a seductive look from her girlfriend while she was busy cooking and laughing with Addison, she knew she didn't take things too far. She hadn't intended to use the Ben Wah Balls tonight. In fact, she wasn't even sure if Callie was comfortable with toys, but knowing she couldn't have Callie writhing beneath her all night made her libido sky rocket. Without thinking, she decided to go for it and she is so glad she did. Callie couldn't look any more sated and relaxed than she did at that moment.

Guests were starting to filter into the party and just about everyone had arrived. The smell of savory turkey wafted through the air and a dull roar of laughter could be heard echoing off the walls. The table had been set for twenty, Addison's fancy china perfectly placed in front of each chair. A small side table extended the large dining table to accommodate the extra guests. Arizona's mom would always refer to that extension as the "kid's table" and seeing Addison use it for adults was somewhat amusing. The table had an extravagant cornucopia in the center with flowers, corn stalks, small pumpkins, and gourds spilling out of the cavity. Everything was perfect.

Arizona always enjoyed Friendsgiving. It was a time for her to reconnect with so many of her old classmates, friends, and colleagues. It took her a long time to start coming back to Boston after her grandma picked her up the last day of her residency many moons ago. At first, Addison would come to Beaufort to have her "consult" on a consult. It was never really just a consult though. It was a deep dive into cases where a sick child really needed her help. At first, Arizona would pull all-nighters to help Addison develop a treatment plan before Addison would return to Boston, alone. Then, one case caught her attention and the next thing she knew, she was on a plane back to Boston with Addison. She remembered the first time she stepped off the plane at Boston Logan International Airport. Fear and excitement rushed into her veins. She was back to where her life both started and ended. After a while her trips to Boston became more frequent and she felt more comfortable. She even started spending the weekends after her cases in town, catching up with old friends and spending time reconnecting with the city she used to love.

As Arizona continued to stare at Callie, she was snapped out of her day dream when she heard her name a little more prominently stated.

"Hmmm?" she responded, tearing her eyes away from her bombshell girlfriend.

"Dude, I know she is hot but you don't have to droll over her in the middle of our conversation" the man to her right snarled making Arizona blush.

Arizona's eyes grew wide. She was caught in the act. "I'm sorry Karev, what were you saying?" she responded. Truthfully, Arizona could care less about what he and Owen Hunt were talking about. The last thing she remembered was the conversation turning from organ transplants to something car related. Owen took this opportunity to slyly remove himself from the conversation, undoubtedly to refill his drink and talk to Christina.

"I asked you how long you were staying in Boston."

"Oh, sorry, um, we are leaving tomorrow morning. Grandma Bernie is having Thanksgiving at her place and Callie offered to help cook" she said, giving him one of her signature dimpled smiles. Every time she talked about Callie interacting with her family and closest friends, her heart melted.

"I'm sure glad you didn't offer to help because your whole family would starve if you were in charge of the kitchen" Karev laughed as he took a long sip of his whiskey. "Remember that time you tried to have us over for that crockpot casserole thing? I sure hope you've learned by now that you do have to plug those crockpots in" he laughed thinking back at that memory.

It was true, Arizona was a terrible cook and she certainly wasn't offended that peopled used that small tid-bit of information to poke fun at her. In fact, she embraced the fact she couldn't cook. That means she didn't have to host anything.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny Karev. At least I didn't burn that one" she challenged, knowing full well that if she had remembered to plug it in and turn it on that she probably would have burned that dish just like all of the other ones in the past.

Alex smiled and took a long look at his friend, making Arizona a little bit uncomfortable. She took a long sip of her own whiskey, keeping eye contact with the giddy face in front of her before the remaining ice clinked against the glass signaling she was indeed out of a drink.

"What?" she asked, genuinely intrigued by Alex's sudden interest in her face.

"You look happy, Robbins. Like really happy. I missed that about you" he responded genuinely. Normally their relationship was a lot of sarcasm and jokes but this was a different tone to their friendship, one that shocked Arizona.

"I am happy Alex. Over the moon, reach for the stars, forget my name happy." Tearing her gaze from Alex's soulful eyes, she caught a glimpse of the brunette that was the source of her happiness. Callie's head was thrown back, laughing with Addison, both women with a glass of red wine in their hand. Alex followed her gaze and smiled. "And she most certainly is the reason."

"Do I have to give her the old 'if you break her heart I'll break your face' talk?" he asked half seriously. Arizona loved this side of Karev. On the surface, he was all grouchy and put on a tough exterior, but deep down, he truly cared about her and she would do the same for him if he needed.

"Honestly, I don't think you do" she smiled. Callie was so different than any other woman she ever met and if the last few months didn't prove that she was in this, she didn't know who she could ever trust.

Alex simply smiled and seemed content with her answer. "Another drink?" he asked finishing the last sip from his drink.

"Nah, you go ahead. I need to make sure my best friend isn't about to steal my girlfriend. By the looks of it, those two are really hitting it off" she smiled at the thought of her best friend actually liking the woman she was dating. Addison has never been afraid to voice her opinions about the woman she should and shouldn't be dating. Upon meeting most of them, she was quick to judge and made it known if she approved. Arizona couldn't remember the last time she received a 'thumbs-up' from her friend. She was hopeful that this time, her reaction would be different.

"What's going on over here" she cautiously asked walking up to the opposite site of the kitchen island from where Callie and Addison breathlessly laughed. She took a seat on one of the bar stools and furrowed her brow in confusion, laughter still bouncing between the two woman. Callie and Addison both held glasses full of red wine with kitchen oven mitts in one hand and wooden spoons in the opposite. Both women's faces were a deep shade of red, presumably from the lack of oxygen their hysterical laughter caused.

"I…just…dropped…" Callie was trying to breathe in between words, but failing miserably. Addison, too, couldn't stop laughing to fill Arizona in on what they were laughing about. Addison leaned up against her kitchen cabinets and slid down so she was sitting on the floor, trying hard not to look at Callie, since it only stemmed the laughter. She dropped her head in between her knees to try to catch her breath, wiping tears that formed at the corner of her eyes.

"Oh my God Arizona…" Addison finally managed to squeak out before laughing again, uncontrollably. Callie began sliding down the cabinet next to her and disappearing from Arizona's sight.

No longer able to view the two women, she cautiously made her way to the opposite side of the island to see the two women sitting on the floor trying to catch their breath.

"Arizona, get down here" Addison whispered as she tugged on Arizona's free arm causing her to almost lose her balance and fall on the two woman on the floor. Instead, she caught herself and semi-gracefully joined Callie and Addison on the floor.

"What is so funny?" she asked, this time with a little more play in her words. She couldn't help but smile at the scene unfolding in front of her.

"You sabotaged me" Callie hissed and joked and playfully hit Arizona on the arm. Confusion once again spread across Arizona's face as she looked back and forth between the two.

"Arizona, you missed it and luckily the whole party did too. Well you technically didn't miss it, since you already know about it" Addison snickered as she wiggled her eyebrows at Arizona.

Again, Arizona stared dumbfounded until Callie slipped two metal balls into her hands. The cool steel was enough to realize that they were the ones she had slipped into Callie over an hour ago. Arizona's piercing blue eyes grew wide and a look between shock and horror spread wide across her face. Her chest became blotchy and she started to panic. She had undoubtedly embarrassed Callie during the first time she was meeting her friends. She got too carried away and she was sure that her girlfriend was bound to run out the front door any minute.

"Oh my God Callie! I am so, so sorry" she began to panic and with every word, she started talking faster and faster. "Callie, I swear I didn't mean to embarrass you. I was just caught up in the moment and I just decided to go for it and I didn't think and…" her ramble was caught off by her girlfriend's wine-stained lips sealing over hers. The mix of wine and her signature vanilla lipgloss heightened her senses and she forgot what she was rambling about, until the lips were no longer there and she was brought back to reality.

"Stop. It's fine. Only Addison saw and it actually gave us both a pretty good laugh" Callie replied, alcohol clearly being the muscle in her braveness.

"Damn Zona, I didn't take you for the kinky type" her friend replied and suggestively winked at her.

Arizona shot back a snarky glance and refocused her attention to her girlfriend whose eyes were a bit glassy and her smiled reached her ears. She didn't seem mad, but still. Arizona felt terrible.

"I might have been a bit nervous and drank a little too much wine when helping Addie cook. I was so relaxed and forgot they were in there and all of a sudden, they just fell out" she said laughing once again, causing Addison to laugh too. The amazement written across Arizona's face was permanently etched into her eyes.

"You let her call you Addie?" she asked bewildered by the scene unfolding in front of her. "And you," turning to look back at Callie, "you are not upset with me?"

"I'm not sure where you found this one at, Zona, but she's a keeper. Anyone who can come to a party, dazzle the hostess with her cooking skills and wine knowledge, and drop balls from her vagina without blinking an eye is okay in my book" Addison simply stated before her and Callie began to laugh once more, this time with Arizona joining in with the irony of the whole situation.

"I still feel mortified" Arizona began to say in between her breathless laugh.

"Oh you so should because you are never going to hear the end of this" the redhead responded looking over at Callie and they started to laugh again.

Arizona began to roll her eyes before she felt a thick fabric grasp her cheek and pull her into a kiss. Callie's oven mitt was cradling her check and she felt the wooden spoon start to become tangled in her blonde hair. Pulling back, she looked at her girlfriend with confusion once again plastered on her face.

"What the hell?" she laughed, her eyes now squinting between the two women.

"Nothing, just playing" Callie responded as she realized she accidentally got the wooden spoon tangled in Arizona's blonde locks.

"Ok, what is up with the spoons…and the gloves?" she replied as she began to try to untangle the object from her hair.

Addison and Callie were clearly slightly intoxicated, and as the warm liquid of the whiskey began to take over her on inhibitions, she noticed that she too was starting to lose control.

"We were using them to have a sword fight" Addison said as she continued to poke and prod her best friend.

Before Arizona had a chance to respond, a familiar face appeared from over the countertop.

"What are you three doing?" Christina asked incredulously. "Addie, you have some hangry house guests that are about to start eating dessert before you even have a chance to serve dinner, and by the smell of it, I am not sure that dinner is going to be worth eating."

Addison's eyes grew wide. "Oh Shit!" Addison immediately jumped up from her spot on the kitchen floor and quickly opened the oven. Thick, grey smoke poured out of the oven, causing the redhead to cough several times. First, she frantically waved her wooden spoon at the smoke, but realizing that wasn't doing anything; she quickly switched to the oven mitt and frantically began trying to clear the smoke.

Both Callie and Arizona just looked at each other and busted out laughing at the scene unfolding in front of her.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Addison stammered as the smoke cleared and she realized her once, beautiful, plump, golden turkey had now turned into a deflated, burnt, pile of crumbs. Addison looked down at the two women uncontrollably laughing on the floor before she, too, began to laugh once more.

Guests from the party started to realize something was going on in the kitchen and started making their way around the island. Karev, the first to notice the burnt bird was the first to speak up.

"Well, it looks like we will be having a liquid dinner tonight" he commented raising his whiskey glass as a means to toast the evening.

"Oh no! Addison! What happened?" Meredith Grey chimed in, looking genuinely concerned.

Addison didn't respond. Instead, she continued to laugh as she shut the oven and turned it off before making her way over to her wine fridge. The party-goers silently watched, unsure of whether to laugh along with her or to remain silent. All remained silent except for Arizona and Callie, who were still trying to catch their breath from earlier. Addison opened the wine fridge and pulled out a bottle of Dom Perignon. With a smile on her face, accompanied by a laughter that was in and out of heavy breathing, she tore the wrapping off the top of the cork. Without saying a word, she shot the cork out of the bottle, releasing the pressure. Bubbles and champagne began to pour out of the top as Addison quickly caught it with her mouth, making sure to drop as little as possible. Once the liquid calmed down, she smiled at the group of people, staring in front of her.

"Well, you heard Karev. Liquid diet for everyone" she cheers as she began pouring herself a tall glass of expensive champagne. "Don't just stand there, get a glass" she encouraged.

By now, people began to loosen up and laugh at the irony of the situation. Addison never failed at anything. She never got a "B" on a report card, she was top of her class, and she excelled as a world-class, neonatal surgeon with board certifications in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal and Fetal Medicine. She was perfect. Her annual Friendsgiving event was perfect every year. This was the first year that anything remotely like this happened.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: I hope you enjoy!**

After the turkey fiasco, Addison ended up putting all of the side dishes out on the kitchen counter for people to snack on so there was at least some substance in people's hungry bellies. In hindsight, she should have turned the oven off hours ago, but she was having so much fun talking to Arizona's girlfriend, Callie, that she forgot about everything else. It was finally nice to see such a wonderful, caring person in Arizona's life and Callie made it effortless for them to hit it off right away. It was an added bonus that Callie could cook and ended up helping her in the kitchen most of the evening – that is until they started drinking too much wine and learning a little more about Callie and Arizona than she bargained for. Even with the dinner being a total disaster, it seemed like everyone was having a great time.

Callie was especially enjoying her first Friendsgiving. Her buzz had simmered down enough for her to not make a complete fool of herself in front of Arizona's friends, but enough to give her a little liquid courage and mingle with so many people who were important to her girlfriend. She was a little sad that most of the night was spent away from Arizona, though. Not that she minded. She knew that Arizona hadn't seen most of these people in well over a year, some longer, and the blonde was certainly playing catch up with her friends for lost time. Still, every so often, Arizona's piercing blue eyes would search the crowd for the mesmerizing brown that were constantly watching her from across the room. Every time they would connect, a silent conversation took place between just the two of them.

Callie was standing behind one of the sofas by herself, taking in the scene unfolding around her. A group of people were still hovered around the kitchen, drinking shots of tequila, a group of people seemed to be in a serious discussion about which was better – football or hockey, and a small group gathered off into this distance, whispering about something. Arizona was still deep in conversation with a slightly older woman, seeming to be lost in thought and clearly talking about something important. She watched as Arizona tilted her head back, laughing at something the woman was saying. Callie didn't think she could be any more beautiful than she was in that minute. Interrupting her from her thoughts, a gruff voice came up behind her.

"Do you play?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, what?" she responded, not realizing what the man was asking.

"I said do you play? Guitar?" he replied.

Callie looked down at the beautiful wood guitar that was hung around the man's shoulder. It was made of light blonde wood and definitely looked like it was well played. The strap around the man's neck had different shades of green camouflage, undoubtedly representing the United States Army. Looking back up to meet the man's eyes she replied, "I do not, unfortunately."

"Well can you sing?" he pushed further, not letting his pursuit of playing music go.

Both singing and speaking in front of a group of people was not her thing, but at that moment, she had the right amount of alcohol in her to give her the courage she needed to slowly nod her head. Her body reacted without her mind realizing and before she knew it, she was sitting on the couch with the man perched on the arm rest over top of her. He started to tune his guitar, plucking each string individually to ensure they played the right pitch.

In the middle of her conversation with Nicole Herman, Arizona caught a glimpse of Callie being pulled onto the couch by Owen Hunt and his guitar. The soft strumming of his guitar could barely be heard over the conversations in the room as he started to tune the guitar so not many people realized music was beginning to be played. But Arizona was mesmerized and immediately distracted from her current conversation once Callie started to sing along.

"I really can't stay" "But baby, it's cold outside"

"I've got to go away" "But baby, it's cold outside"

"This evening has been" "Been hoping that you'd drop in"

"So very nice" "I'll hold our hands, they're just like ice"

Without realizing, Arizona slowly made her way into the living room, completely ignoring Nicole. It was as if everything else around her became silent. All that could be heard in her mind was the soft strumming of the guitar and a beautiful melody leaving her girlfriend's lips. She had no idea Callie had such a beautiful voice. She never once mentioned she could sing. Arizona's heart melted. Everything was falling into place. Callie seemed to fit right in with all of her friends without blinking an eye. It was in that moment, she saw her entire future unfold in front of her. No more pain, no more running. Callie was it for her. Callie was her missing puzzle piece and the one person that was able to bring joy back in her life.

Callie looked up and saw Arizona staring at her, a goofy grin plastered on her face. Callie reciprocated the smile and winked at the blonde. She turned her attention back to Owen before the two of them belted out the last few lyrics of the song, over dramatically to say the least.

"But baby, it's coldddddd outttttttt sideeeeeeeee" the two broke out into laughter as Owen continued to strum his guitar before ending the song on a high note.

By now, a small group of people began to gather around the musicians and started to sing along. As Owen started the next song, several people took over Callie's role as lead singer, giving her an opportunity to sneak away. Callie saw that Arizona had returned to her conversation with Nicole so she walked over to the bar and poured herself another glass of red wine. As she started putting the cork back, she felt strong arms snake through her arms and around her torso.

"Hey you" the husky voice of her girlfriend echoed against her neck followed by a warm kiss. Callie smiled and leaned into the woman behind her, pressing her ass into Arizona's center. She could practically feel the heat from her center radiating through her dress. "That was incredibly hot" she growled. "You didn't tell me you could sing" she teased.

"Its not that I can't sing, I just don't sing" she replied, leaning further into her lover's arms.

"That's too bad. I think you really missed your calling" she smiled.

Callie blew out a puff of air and rolled her eyes, even though the blonde couldn't see her face. "Yea, right. You are the one with the hidden talent. The whole town of Beaufort thinks so. You were incredible at the festival. I am just a girl who likes to sing in the shower" she said incredulously.

Arizona spun Callie around so that she could face her. Callie's gaze seemed to wander around the room, stopping everywhere except Arizona's deep blue eyes. Arizona wrapped her hands around Callie's neck and pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss, reclaiming Callie's attention. Before Callie could deepen the kiss even further, Arizona pulled back and recaptured Callie's eyes. "I'm serious, Callie. You have a beautiful voice. I am so proud to call you my girlfriend."

Seeing nothing but the truth in the shimmering blue eyes staring back, a wide smile crept onto the brunette's face. She leaned in for another kiss, this one much less possessive. It was soft and full of love. The clearing of a throat pulled the two lovebirds out of their moment of passion.

"Get a room. You're blocking the bar" Christina sneered, her posture clearly overtaken by large quantities of alcohol.

Callie turned back and looked at Arizona, raising her eyebrow to silently communicate her agreement with Christina. Arizona got the hint, grabbed Callie by the hand, and pulled her towards the back of the house. She made quick work of the backdoor and stealthily closed the door behind them. A few partygoers were on the back porch, deep in conversation, and didn't seem to notice the newcomers joining them. They tiptoed past the people on the back deck, being sure to avoid Addison especially, and exited the area and into the lawn. Once they reached the grass, they hurried down the path that was identified by step stones and lined by bushes on both sides. At the end of the path, the clearing led to a large pool and a pretty sizeable building on the side. The pool was covered since it was November and much too cold to swim in.

"Wait, wait, wait. What are we doing?" Callie managed to say in between breaths.

Arizona turned around to face her girlfriend and reached into the top of her dress, pulling a key out from her bra. She wiggled it back and forth in front of Callie's face as she showed the brunette a mischievous, full dimpled smile. "Addison offered her guest house to us for the night…you know, since we have been drinking and all" she replied wiggling her eyebrows. "She didn't want us to have to drive back to the hotel under these circumstances" she winked before grabbing the brunette's hand once again and leading her over to the door or the guest house. Reaching the door, she slid the key into the lock before turning the door knob. The second they stepped into the guest house, Arizona roughly pushed Callie against the back of the door, slamming it shut. Her bare thigh slipped in between caramel legs and pressed against Callie's center, wetness immediately coating her leg from her naked core.

"So glad I tore those off you hours ago. Now I have easy access" the blonde said before capturing plump red lips once again. Her hands immediately began roaming up Callie's arms and grasping a full fist of brown hair. She roughly latched onto a tan neck, causing the Latina to let out a hiss of both pleasure and pain. "You have been driving me crazy all night. You are finally mine, now" she husked into her girlfriend's ear before nipping at the lobe. She focused her attention back to the plump lips, sucking on the bottom lip before finally enveloping her full lips into a searing kiss.

Callie moaned into the kiss as she felt the strong thigh press against her throbbing clit. From all of the teasing throughout the day, her clit was at constant attention begging for a release. She knew just a few more thrusts would be all it would take to send her over the edge, but she didn't want that. Not yet anyway. She had waited too long for just a quick release. Instead, she took the blonde by surprise and picked her up.

"Oh!" Arizona gasped at the sudden lift and she quickly took the hint and wrapped her legs around Callie's body to keep from falling. Her lips never left the brunets as she was carried across the room until she felt her ass against cold metal. Blue eyes snapped open and she was met with a wicked grin from the brunette. Callie pushed back away from the blonde who was now sitting on the pool table, visibly disheveled and highly aroused.

Callie went over to the entertainment system and turned the power on. Classical music began to play from the speakers. Not happy with the genre of music, Callie used the touch screen to flip through Addison's playlist. "Ah, this is more like it" she gleamed pushing play on a playlist that met her needs. Upbeat Hispanic music came on over the speakers and Callie began to slowly move her hips from side to side. Still with her back facing Arizona, she snaked her fingers through her brown tresses before slowly grazing her hands to rub the back of her neck. Her ass began to sway a little faster now, picking up tempo to match the beat. She slowly turned around to face Arizona as she brought her hands across her chest and grasped her breasts through the material of her dress.

Arizona was visibly shivering in anticipation as she watched her girlfriend touching herself while moving her hips to the song. She audibly gasped as the sexy figure started walking towards her. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the brunette as she watched her roll her shoulders back and forth and side to side, periodically bringing her hands into her hair and flipping it up to only have it slide through her fingers once again and fall on her shoulders. Callie shook her head back and forth causing her hair to swirl around her face. She puffed out her chest and offered the blonde a sexy smirk, looking right into the deep blue eyes staring at her. Arizona couldn't take anymore and began to reach out to pull the sexy woman dancing in front of her closer. But, before she had a chance to touch her, Callie grabbed her wrists and roughly direct her palms to settle against her voluptuous breasts for only a brief second before forcing them back behind her head. Her legs were roughly pulled apart and her steaming hot center was invaded by the Latina.

"No touching" she growled in her ear. "You think I would let you get away with teasing me all night and just let you have your way with me?" she teased, loosening her grip on her girlfriends wrists before directing them to her sides. "I am in charge, do you understand?" she commanded, her lips remaining millimeters away from her ear.

Arizona swallowed hard, her eyes wide with excitement and anticipation. The vibration of the bass from the stereo was getting louder and louder, mimicking her heart beat. She simply nodded as a smile formed on her lips. Her throat was going dry and her palms were starting to sweat.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't hear you, Doctor Robbins. I said, do you understand?" Callie deepened her voice as she nibbled once more on the blonde's earlobe, her hot breath tickling her neck.

"Yes" she responded meekly, barely holding it together.

"Good girl" she snickered before pulling away from the blonde. She backed up just out of arms reach and began to dance once again, only this time, she let her hands begin to roam her body once again. She kept constant eye contact with blue orbs that were screaming "fuck me." Every once in a while, Callie would slowly close her eyes, while she traveled her hand to a new location, opening them only for a second to gaze down at her ministrations on her own body before closing her eyes once again and refocusing her attention back to Arizona. She smirked right before she gathered the bottom of her dress and pulled it up and over her head, releasing her bare form for only Arizona to witness. As the dress came up and over her head, it released her breasts to bounce nicely even though they were still encased her black lace bra. Holding Arizona's gaze, she brushed her hand against her skin, tracing the outline of her body.

Arizona felt a rush of fluid collect in between her legs. She had never been so close to having an orgasm without even been touched. She felt the familiar twitching of her clit and her vagina was pulsating ever so slightly. These were familiar signs for her to know that one touch would send her over the edge. As soon as Callie turned around and bent over, she started shaking her plump ass. Ensuring to arch her back so the blonde had the full view of her assets, she started to run her hands up her legs, starting at her high heels. Making her way further up her body, she dipped one hand in between her thighs, stopping for a moment to collect warm liquid that was coating her pussy. Opting to keep her high heels on, she turned around and smeared her juices on her chest, right above her bra. Watching the scene unfold in front of her, Arizona was done for. She needed a release and she needed it now. Just before she attempted to reach under her dress to relieve the intense pressure that was built up by her Latina's dance, she was spotted by her girlfriend.

"Oh, no, no, no. That is unacceptable behavior, Doctor Robbins" she smirked as she sauntered back between her girlfriend's thighs. "I told you. You are mine tonight" she teased before unhooking her bra, letting her golden breasts fall out in front of the blonde's face. Arizona's mouth began to water as the strong scent of the Latina invaded her nostrils. Her glistening chest was so close to her mouth, teasing her with every breath. Her thirst was soon quenched as Callie directed her head against her chest. "You only get a taste" Callie instructed. Obliging, Arizona made quick work of sucking the liquid from her girlfriend's chest before moving swiftly to suck on a taught nipple. Before Arizona had her fill, Callie pulled back away once again from the blonde, just out of reach. Her hands teased up the blonde's thigh, squeezing gently at the flesh near her groin, letting Arizona know that she was in charge and hungry for her. Arizona shivered once again.

"I think we need to even the score" she said with a smirk before capturing the blonde's dress and swiftly pulling it up and over her head, revealing a navy blue bra and matching lace thong. Before she had a chance to register what was happening, Callie pushed Arizona back onto the pool table, knocking a few loose balls into the pockets before climbing up on top of her girlfriend, eliciting a gasp from pink lips. Callie began dropping kissing all over Arizona's neck and collarbone. As she traveled further down her shoulder, she brought Arizona's bra strap with her, sliding it further and further down her arm. "This needs to go" she husked against her skin. Luckily it was a front clasp bra so Callie was able to make quick work with minimal interruptions, freeing delicious breasts that were standing at full attention.

Arizona's chest was rapidly rising and falling as she felt Callie begin to move closer and closer to her chest. Her skin was being marked with every nibble and every suckle of her body. Being branded so to speak by the fiery woman on top of her was exhilarating. Arizona's eyes rolled back in her head as a warm tongue began to circle her taught nipple. After what seemed like hours of burning desire between her legs she was finally about to get the release she was craving. She loved feeling Callie's lips pepper her neck and her chest, but nothing beats the feeling of Callie's lips around her nipple, sucking and tugging at her swollen breasts. But once again, just as Arizona was finally getting what she wanted, Callie's lips were gone. She quickly opened her eyes to see Callie standing over her, one leg on each side of her body.

"My God" Arizona moaned as she watched the Latina continue her dance directly above her. Seeing the high heels take place next to her head, she followed long tan legs to meet the apex of a muscular thigh and glistening slit. Her clit was protruding slightly passed her engorged lips. It possibly the most swollen she had ever seen it. Without warning, Callie dropped to her knees, her center hovering directly above Arizona's mouth. Hands began to trail through blonde tresses, pulling slightly until she directed Arizona's mouth to meet her center. Arizona let out an audible moan as she tasted her prized possession for the first time since this game started.

Callie let out an equal audible moan as she ground her hips against her girlfriend's mouth, as her tongue made quick work of her center. Callie's legs began to shake at the feeling of Arizona thrusting her tongue to lap up all of her juices. She was starting to lose her resolve so before she couldn't keep it together any longer, she slid herself down Arizona's body and captured Arizona's panting lips, tasting herself.

Arizona squeezed her eyes tight as Callie's thigh once again made contact with her clit, teasingly applying pressure to where Arizona needed her the most. "Callie" she managed to whisper in between kisses. "I'm…I…"

"Not yet. I haven't even gotten to the best part" she smirked; planting one last kiss on her girlfriend's waiting lips. She knew Arizona was close. Hell, she was close. But she needed to hold out for just another few minutes. She traveled down Arizona's body and pulled her further into the center of the pool table so that she could have optimal access to all things Arizona. Running her hands up her creamy thighs, she trailed her index finger against her swollen pussy through the lace material. Feeling the overwhelming wetness coat her fingers through the material, she hooked her fingers on the waistband and swiftly pulled them off. Knowing it wouldn't take long to bring her girlfriend over the edge, she ran her tongue through her dripping center to taste as much of Arizona as she could before pushing herself back up her body and settle her clit against Arizona's.

"I think I've teased you enough" she winked and began grinding her hips onto Arizona's. Three thrusts were all it took to send both women tumbling into the abyss. They screamed each other's names in unison as Callie collapsed against Arizona's writhing body. Pure ecstasy rushed through both of their bodies tingling all the way to their toes. Sweat matted blonde hair against Arizona's forehead and chest and it began to mix with Callie's. Callie remained on top of Arizona until she felt Arizona's breath even out before rolling over to lie on her back. She intertwined her fingers into her girlfriends and brought her land up to her lips, kissing each of her knuckles tenderly. The gesture was simple but full of love bringing their relationship back into focus after the primal sexual experience they both shared moments ago.

"That was…" Arizona was lost for words. She had experience mind blowing orgasms in the past, but nothing compared to what she considered a full day even, testing and teasing each other's limits.

"It was, wasn't it?" she smiled turning her head to look at the blonde beside her. Their eyes locked once again, both displaying the evident passion and desire that even though they just had the best sex of their lives, they still weren't satisfied. If anything, they were hungry for more.

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! Your reviews mean a lot!**

 **A/N2: I have a few directions as to where to take this story and would love reader's input – My question to you is - drama or no drama?**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Thank you for the great reviews and your input for the story! I hope that the direction I chose to go doesn't disappoint!** **As always, your reviews are awesome!**

Just before dawn Arizona began to stir. She rolled over to glance at the glowing red light of the alarm clock on the night stand next to her. The numbers read 4:23 am. Their flight wasn't until 9:45 am so they didn't need to leave for the airport until at least 7. That would give them plenty of time to stop back at the hotel, pick up their luggage, and catch a cab to the airport. Annoyed at how early it still was, Arizona rolled back over and placed a pillow over head to block out the light of the neon clock. She shut her eyes once again in hopes of falling asleep. She fought her mind over again, trying to will herself back to sleep, but was seemingly unsuccessful. She tossed and turned a few more time before she frustratingly removed the pillow covering her eyes and flung it against the lower half of her body with a barely audible grunt. Staring up at the ceiling she watched as light from the moonlight shimmered over the textured panels while she listened to soft snores coming from her girlfriend who was undoubtedly in a deep sleep. She smiled thinking about the vents from the night before. Callie had gotten along so well with her friends, especially Addison. She knew everyone would love her once they got to know her, but she couldn't help but wonder what her friends were thinking when they showed up together. Callie was the first true girlfriend she introduced to her friends after leaving Boston a few years ago. Most of the women in her life had been one night stands or short flings that often earned her an eye roll or an awkward glance. Her insecurities began to creep back in as she laid there in darkness.

After about an hour of being deep in thought and not being able to fall back to sleep, Arizona slowly sat up in bed, letting the sheet that was once covering her naked body pool around her hips. She stretched her sore muscles in her arms and back before rolling her neck from side to side. Her body was aching in places she didn't even know existed. They had spent hours having crazy, passionate sex, worshiping each other's bodies, bringing each other to climax after climax before ultimately collapsing and falling right asleep. Her body was sore no doubt about it but she was content satisfied and happy. Before she had the chance to lie back down, she felt rumbling from deep within her own body signaling she needed something to eat. They barely ate dinner last night besides a few bites of an appetizer and apple pie for dessert since the turkey didn't pan out as Addison hoped. She glanced over at her sleeping girlfriend once again before sliding out from under the covers and walking out into the main living area of the pool house. She turned on the small kitchen light before opening the refrigerator. Looking inside she laughed at the familiarity. Beer, cheese, and a takeout container were the only things in the rather empty refrigerator. Arizona sighed before she close the door, leaning her for head against the cool metal of the door. Peeling herself away from the cool metal, she scanned the room for signs of her dress that was discarded many hours ago. Finally spotting it in a ball on the floor besides the front door, she made her way back over to her and reluctantly slipped it over her head.

To try to keep her hunger at bay until breakfast, Arizona decided to walk back up to the main house to raid Addison's refrigerator of any leftovers. As she approached the house, she saw evidence of what looked to be a really wild party. Red solo cups were scattered all over the yard, confetti was stuck to every surface, and a large inflatable flamingo was stuck on the roof. She couldn't remember any of these items prior to leaving the party last night. She laughed at the situation as she slowly turned the back door knob and pushed the door open. Unlike the loud statement of "party" in the back yard, the house was eerily quiet. All that could be heard was the subtle creaking of her opening the back door. She gently shut it behind her as to not make too much noise. She tiptoed her way through the kitchen and over to the refrigerator. Opening the door, she was much more excited about what she found inside. From the looks of it, someone had made frozen pizzas, wings, and some sort of dip. She began assembling a plate with leftovers and popped it into the microwave. As she waited for her food to heat up, she was surprised when she felt a hand grasp her shoulder.

"Geez" she exclaimed as she brought her hand to hear chest and started breathing rapidly. "You are going to give a girl a heart attack" she scolded as her breath began to even back out.

"Relax, you are in a house full of doctors" Addison giggled checking Arizona's hip into her own before walking over to the kitchen cabinet and pulled out two glasses.

"What the hell happened here last night?" she questioned as she looked Addison up and down. She was in an oversized t-shirt, messy hair, and had "hung-over" practically plastered onto her face.

Addison placed one of the glasses next to Arizona as she walked over to the sink and filled up her glass with water. Before answering, she chugged the entire glass, and began filling it up once again.

"The twisted sisters, that's what happened" she said with annoyance in her voice. "Apparently they wanted to play every drinking game in the book and very much succeeded."

It wasn't something that always happened with the whole friend group got together, but any chance Meredith and Christina got, they turned it into Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. It was amazing how much tequila the two small framed girls could hold as they drank person after person under the table. Once those two got into party mode, there wasn't much that could stop them. Once, they even "borrowed" a school bus and had one of the party goers drive them around the city of Seattle. Luckily for them, Owen's father was in the police force and got them off on grand theft auto charges.

"Ah I see. I guess it was about time for that to happen again" she laughed as she rolled her eyes. "I don't get it. Those two just have this way of turning everyone at a party into alcoholics" she laughed.

"I know right. I mean it was my fault. If I didn't burn the turkey, we would have had a nice sit down meal, told stories by the fire, and everyone would have went home. Instead, I have people staying in just about every room of the house" she chuckled.

"So did he show?" she pried.

"Well I didn't get this hickey from myself" she teased pulling her hair back away from her neck. A dark shadow was cast just above her collar bone.

"Wow. You must have had quite a night" she winked.

"Speak for yourself! You left the party right before the good part. I mean your two practically fucked in the middle of my living room" she snapped back.

"Yea, yea, yea. So tell me, how are things going with you two? You guys have been dating for a few weeks now right?" Addison replied with a simple nod. "I am surprised he flew in for Thanksgiving instead of spending it with his family. Not that I'm surprised he flew in to see you, it's just since you two haven't really become an official couple yet. I was just surprised that he would give that up to spend a holiday with you so early. He must really like you" she smiled.

"Yea I was surprised too, but I guess his family was traveling overseas for the holiday and he will have to fly back home Friday since he is on call starting Saturday. So I guess Boston's much closer than Italy."

"Thus is true."

The sound of the microwave signaled the plate of food was hot and ready to eat. Arizona pulled it from the microwave and sat down at the kitchen island next to Addison. She put the plate in between both of them and began to consume much needed substance.

"So…" Arizona started nonchalantly.

Addison decided to play dumb and raise her eyebrow signaling for Arizona to continue. She knew Arizona wanted to ask her about Callie, but she liked to make the blonde squirm a bit.

"What did you think?" she questioned.

"About…" she prompted.

"Addison" she dropped her pizza and looked disbelievingly back at the red head who had a smirk on her face. There was no way she didn't know what she was talking about. After all, Callie was a big deal.

Addison smiled as she took a bite of the pizza Arizona just finished taking a bite out of. She swallowed and began to take another bite before the slice was snatched out of her hand. "Hey!" she pouted.

"Nah uh. Not until you tell me what you thought of Callie."

"Arizona, I loved her. What wasn't to love? She is so nice, funny, charming, _ballsy_ " she smirked at the last comment as Arizona rolled her eyes. "I will say, what were you thinking?"

"I don't know what came over me Addie. Christina gave them to me earlier in the day as a gag gift and I just went for it. I wasn't even planning on doing that but my god have you seen that woman? She is incredibly beautiful and unbelievably sexy. That dress she wore…we almost didn't make it to your party at all." Arizona took a long sip of her water. Just talking about Callie turned her on to no end. She needed to calm down before she sprinted back to the pool house to wake her sleeping goddess for morning sex.

Addison laughed as the blonde became flustered. When her friend got like this, she knew she really cared deeply for someone. Sure, the images she was describing were purely physical, but she could tell just from the past few days that Arizona really cared for Callie. She had seen Arizona with plenty of women, but none gave Arizona this reaction.

"You seem happy. Like more happy then even a few months ago when you met her."

"I am incredibly happy, Addie. I know I've only known her for a few months, but I feel like she is the one. When I saw her mingling with all of my friends last night, I could see it. I mean, I certainly thought about it when we were home in Beaufort, but last night…I really saw it Addie."

Addison smiled warmly back at her friend. She was certainly happy for the blonde but she still had to be protective of her friend. Even after spending hours with the brunette last night, she still didn't get a chance to ask about Callie's future plans. "Have you talked to her about staying in Beaufort…you know, long term?" she inquired dropping her gaze back to the plate of food to continue eating it. She knew this discussion would put a damper on her friend's mood, but she needed to be sure.

Arizona sighed. She hadn't thought about it. In all honestly, she didn't think she needed to. She was so wrapped up in everything Callie and how much fund they were having together that she forgot the small little fact that the woman randomly showed up in her town and swooped her off her feet. Ever since she first saw her, Arizona was mesmerized by Callie. No other woman ever had that effect on her. Besides one night when they first declared they were girlfriends, they never talked about the future again. Arizona

Addison could tell she was deep in thought. She silently whispered "'Zona" to try to get her attention back to the conversation at hand.

"We haven't really talked about it" she replied as she began fingering her napkin. "I mean, we haven't even talked about moving in together or if she wants to get married one day or have kids or any of the serious stuff that could make or break a relationship. We have just been floating in our pretty pink bubble and I like my pink bubble. I am just too afraid to pop it."

Addison began rubbing her back in small circles showing signs of comfort. "Well is that something that you want?" she asked. "You know, marriage, kids, a life with this woman?"

Arizona didn't hesitate. "Yes Addie. I want all of those things."

"All of what things?" A voice chimed into their conversation from the back door.

Arizona's eyes grew wide with panic at the sound of Callie's voice. She wasn't sure how much she heard and she definitely wasn't sure she was ready to have this conversation right at this moment. Arizona felt a hand rest against her forearm as Addison spoke.

"We were talking about the leftovers from the party last night. Someone was starving here in the middle of the night and decided to raid my fridge. She can't stop eating" Addison laughed, trying her best to reassure the brunette walking into the middle of their conversation.

"Oh good! I am starving" Callie responded, seeming to believe Addison.

Arizona felt a sense of relief leave her body as she turned around and smiled widely at her girlfriend, welcoming her to the kitchen island.

"I've already devoured an entire plate full of leftovers already. I am ready for round two."

As Addison started rummaging through the refrigerator and pulling out leftovers, Callie took this opportunity to plant a soft kiss against her girlfriend's waiting lips. "Good morning" she smiled taking in the tired look of her girlfriend's eyes. "How long have you been up?" she questioned.

Arizona yawned as she looked over at the clock on the stove. The time read 6:23 am. "Wow, about 2 hours now. I tossed and turned after waking up around 4:30 am and couldn't fall back to sleep. I was starving so I decided to come up to the house to grab something to eat a little while ago and Addie scared the crap out of me in the middle of making a snack. We've been chit chatting ever since."

Callie grabbed Arizona's hand and began running her fingers through each of the blonde's. "You know you can always wake me up if you can't sleep. I am always willing to tire you back out" she smirked.

"I can hear you! I am standing right here" Addison turned, a playful look of disgust on her face before placing a new plate of random foods in front of the two women. Callie sheepishly ducked her head and began to nibble at the food.

Deciding it was time to change the subject, Arizona cleared her voice. "We only have about a half hour and then we have to head back to the hotel before our flight. Are you still planning a trip to Beaufort for Christmas? Grandma Bernie would love to see you."

"Well it will depend on…"

But before Addison had the chance to finish her sentence, Callie interrupted. "Derek" she said disbelievingly as she looked down the hallway.

Oblivious to Callie's change in demeanor, Addison continued with her response, mainly to Arizona. "Well yeah, it will depend if Derek wants to get together or if he is going to be able to travel with his family. Did you meet him last night? I thought he arrived after your little rendezvous" she wiggled her eyebrows back at both women, but stopped suddenly as she watched Callie completely ignore her comment. Callie looked like she had seen a ghost. Her face had fallen, mouth hung open and her eyes were wide.

"Callie?" the man down the hall responded, mirroring her disbelief.

It was almost as if time stood still. Silence filled the room. No one dare moved, especially Addison and Arizona. Neither woman knew what was going on to cause the tension and silence. Arizona chanced a glance over at her friend who shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.

Callie stared at the man in front of her. He was clean shaven, hair slightly out of place from obviously sleeping on it but almost perfect none the less. His face looked much healthier than when she last saw him, almost 6 months ago right before she applied for her sabbatical. He seemed to be taking the loss of their friend much better now than when she last saw him in the woods drinking himself into obliteration at his trailer. As he offered her a small smile, Callie released a breath she had been holding.

"Do you two know each other?" Arizona asked cautiously.

Ignoring the woman behind Callie, Derek was the first to speak. "It's really good to see you, Cal."

Callie combated the voices in her head telling her to run the other way. She had done enough running and was finally done. Judging by Derek's appearance, so was he. Gaining the courage she needed, Callie swallowed hard before responding. "It's really good to see you too" she replied before taking a few hesitant steps towards the man. They never lost eye contact as they walked across the room and enveloped each other into a tight hug. Both let out tears and held on tight. Derek was the first to pull back, looking into solemn brown eyes before placing a kiss on her forehead.

Addison cleared her throat to break up the silence. "Are you two going to tell us what's going on?" she questioned, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

The two separated but didn't lose contact, Callie grabbing onto the back of Derek's shirt while he kept his arm around her shoulders.

"We haven't seen each other in a really long time" was all that Callie responded as she smiled and looked at Derek.

A/N: Reviews are appreciated! Had to go with a little bit of drama in terms of story line but rest assured it will only get better!


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